The TurkStream gas pipeline was in danger of shutting down – the pipeline operator, South Stream Transport BV, had its license revoked on September 17, which, according to current European legislation, should lead to a complete shutdown of the gas pipeline. This is reported by Radio Liberty, citing a document from the Dutch Central Import and Export Authority (CDIU), as well as sources close to the company.
The publication also cites an excerpt from a letter from the company's CEO Oleg Aksyutin, which states that the revocation of the license forces him to demand "suspend the implementation of all contracts related to the technical support of the gas pipeline (including design, manufacture, assembly, testing, repair, maintenance and training (as applicable) to the approved works on the gas pipeline), all types of support, including verbal support.” At the same time, commercial transportation of gas should be stopped, the pipeline should use only technical gas to maintain its own performance.
Due to the sanctions, the gas pipeline operator is now unable to properly maintain it, since all the necessary materials and equipment were included in the sanctions lists. Another letter, excerpts from which the publication cites, refers to an urgent requirement to suspend all contracts with suppliers from September 16, 2022, and provides a list of companies whose representatives must be notified: Comita, Subsea7, StarCOE, Valveitalia, Norrexim, Intecsea, Gazprom Transgaz Krasnodar and Starstroy.
“The pipeline lies at a depth of 3 kilometers, the entire Black Sea basin has a rather complicated seismic situation, there are boundaries of tectonic plates, and the integrity of the gas pipeline must be constantly monitored. There are special courts for this. Now all this work has been completely suspended, ”a Radio Liberty source says.
Sources of the publication claim that South Stream Transport has applied for a new license, but no one can give guarantees for the renewal, so at the moment the pipeline is at risk of being stopped. Radio Liberty also notes that the company has not yet notified Turkey, which is the main consumer of gas along this route, about problems and work without a license.
At the moment, Turkish Stream remains the last gas supply route to Europe that has been operating without interruption. The Yamal-Europe gas pipeline, passing through Poland, was stopped back in May, the Ukrainian gas transportation system is only a third working, primarily due to hostilities, while Gazprom threatens to stop supplies through Ukraine, and " Nord Streams were damaged. The main European consumers of gas from Turkish Stream are Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary.