EGF Gazprom Monitor, Issue 108, May 2020

A Snapshot of Key Developments in the External Relations of the Russian Gas Sector

By Dr Jack Sharples, EGF Associate Researcher on the External Dimensions of Russian Gas and Research Fellow on the Natural Gas Research Programme, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies

Key points:

• Europe: Russian Federal Customs Service reports year-on-year decline in volume and value of Russian pipeline gas and LNG exports in Q1 2020; Gazprom's Polish gas transit contract — Gazprom subsequently books capacity at auction; Russian gas flows via Poland on Yamal-Europe pipeline briefly fall to zero in late May
• Nord Stream 2: German regulator denies NS2 exemption from EU gas market regulations in Germany's territorial waters; Gazprom loses legal challenge to EU Gas Directive amendment; Nord Stream 1 granted derogation from Gas Directive; Conclusions regarding Gazprom's challenge to the application of EU gas market regulations to NS2; Russian pipelaying vessel docks in German port for work on NS2
• Ukraine: Ukraine and Hungary institute "virtual interconnection point" on their shared border
• Asia: Playing a long game: Gazprom begins designing Power of Siberia 2