The energy major resolved a row that blocked gas transit to Italy through Austria
© Getty Images / bagi1998
Supplies of Russian gas to Italy through Austria resumed on Wednesday, Russia’s energy giant Gazprom said in a statement posted on its Telegram channel. The enforced suspension occurred over the weekend over the application of new regulations.
The company added that it managed to find a solution with Italian buyers to restart gas sales amid legal changes in Austria, which forced Gazprom to stop deliveries on Saturday.
“The Austrian operator said about its readiness to confirm the transport nominations of LLC Gazprom Export, which allows resuming Russian gas supplies through Austria,” it said.
Italy’s energy giant Eni SpA confirmed the resumption of gas flows on Wednesday, saying the issue had been resolved, in a company statement. Austrian regulator E-Control also said a solution appeared to have been found.
On Saturday, Gazprom informed Eni that it would not be able to supply gas to the country due to the “impossibility of transporting it” through Austria. The Russian company explained that the gas flow had been suspended as a result of the refusal of the Austrian operator to confirm “transit nominations” due to regulatory changes that were introduced in Austria at the end of September.
The spat with Austrian authorities is the latest in a series of disputes over regulation and contractual clauses that have forced Gazprom to curb gas supplies to buyers across the EU, further exacerbating the energy crisis in the region.
Following the imposition of Western sanctions Moscow obliged buyers from countries that supported the penalties to pay for Russian natural gas in rubles, halting deliveries to nations that refused.
Gazprom has also had to reduce gas deliveries because of technical problems related to servicing turbines on the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline. Issues arose due to the sanctions on Russia, which have prevented the maintenance of some equipment and the delivery of spare parts.
Nord Stream 1 along with Nord Stream 2, which hasn’t yet been launched, is currently out of operation due to leaks on both pipelines due to a series of undersea explosions, which many countries think was deliberate sabotage.
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