Nord Stream 1: Gazprom announces indefinite shutdown of pipeline

theguardian.com:

Russian energy giant Gazprom extended the shutdown of gas flows through its key Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany on Friday evening, providing no timeframe for a reopening.

The state-owned oil firm said supplies would remain halted through Saturday after a leak was detected. It said the pipeline would not restart until repairs were fully implemented.

It said in a social media post that it had identified “malfunctions” on a key turbine along the pipeline, which carries natural gas from western Russia to Germany and that the pipeline will not work unless these were eliminated.

Early on Wednesday, Gazprom completely halted the flow of gas through Nord Stream 1, in line with an earlier announcement, adding that the stoppage would last for three days. Flows were due to resume just after midnight on Saturday morning.

The company said work was necessary on the only remaining functioning turbine at the Portovaya compressor station at the Russian end of the pipeline but German officials cast doubt on that explanation.

More to follow …