Brussels Allows Gazprom Greater Access to Opal: Report

The European Commission has allowed Russian gas monopoly Gazprom greater access to the Opal natural gas pipeline, the Wall Street Journal reported on October 25.

According to the report, the deal will allow Russia to use up to 90% of the Opal pipeline's 36bn m³ annual capacity. Gazprom has been allowed only limited access to the pipeline on competition grounds.

The deal marked a pragmatic approach both by Russia and the EU to mend their business relationship despite growing tensions over Moscow's bombing campaign in Syria, the report said.

The preliminary agreement could be announced as early as Friday, according to two people familiar with the deal, the report added. Gazprom gets to keep the 50% exclusive capacity it already has. The remaining 40% capacity could be auctioned, with Gazprom allowed to bid, the report added.

Gazprom has claimed that nobody else can use the capacity anyway, as it owns all the gas flowing through Nord Stream. It said the lack of bids for delivery at Greifswald through Opal to Brandov during this summer's 'winter gas' auctions proved that point.

The 470-km pipeline connects the German Baltic Sea coast to Brandov on the Czech-German border, linking the Nord Stream pipeline to the Czech Republic thus bypassing Ukraine.

Murat Basboga