Russia & CIS

Dirty Oil Settlement Expected Between Lukoil, MOL

Russian oil producer Lukoil and Hungarian energy company MOL are reportedly set to sign a settlement deal over contaminated oil during Russian President Putin's visit to Budapest this week.

Bulgartransgaz Raises 50 Million Euros Above Target for TurkStream

Bulgartransgaz has raised 50 million euros more than it originally sought to finance its portion of the TurkStream pipeline.

Russia Says Bulgaria to Complete TurkStream Portion By 2020

Bulgaria has promised Russia that it will complete its portion of the TurkStream pipeline on schedule bringing it in service by early 2020.

Pipeline Shipments from Kashagan Fall with Unplanned Maintenance

Pipeline shipments from Kazakhstan's giant Kashagan project have decreased since Oct. 6 due to unplanned maintenance, but the energy ministry said repairs were completed on Tuesday.

Ukraine Wants Long-Term Gas Transit Deal With Russia

Ukraine wants a long-term gas transit contract with Russia based on European standards, the prime minister said on Wednesday, adding Kiev would not agree to a short-term deal that Moscow seeks.

Profit, Not Politics: Trump Allies Sought Ukraine Gas Deal

As Rudy Giuliani pushed Ukrainian officials to investigate Donald Trump's political rival, others with ties to the president wanted to install new management at Ukraine's state gas company and steer contracts to companies controlled by Trump allies, AP reports.

U.S. Energy Sec Perry Warns Europe of Russia's Gas Pipeline Plans

Russia's Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream natural gas pipeline projects threaten to increase Moscow's political influence in Europe and leave it vulnerable to supply disruptions, U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry said on Monday.

Gazprom: Nord Stream 2 Cost Would Rise by 'Hundreds of Millions' to Bypass Denmark

An alternative route bypassing Danish waters for the construction of the undersea Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline would cost “hundreds of millions of dollars,” the chairman of Russian gas company Gazprom told Reuters.

OMV Chief Says No Need to Discuss Alternative Nord Stream 2 Route

There is no need to discuss alternative routes for Gazprom’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, which is still awaiting approval for its Danish leg, the chief executive of Austria’s OMV said on Thursday.

Putin Urges Denmark to Ignore U.S. Pressure Over Nord Stream 2

Russian President Vladimir Putin urged Denmark on Wednesday to ignore U.S. pressure and "show it has sovereignty" by allowing the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to go through its territory.

Shell Urges U.S. Congress to Withhold Nord Stream 2 Sanctions

Royal Dutch Shell is asking the U.S. Congress not to enact sanctions against the Russia-led Nord Stream 2 undersea gas pipeline to Germany, said Cederic Cremers, head of Shell's business in Russia.

Contaminated Oil in Polish Storage Tanks to Take 6-8 Months to Clean

Contaminated oil in Polish storage tanks that was shipped along the Druzhba pipeline from Russia will take another six to eight months to clean, Poland’s minister for energy infrastructure said on Friday.

Russia's Novatek Sees Enough Gas for Third Big LNG Plant

Russia's top private gas producer Novatek expects newly acquired licenses will give it enough resources for a third liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in its super-cooled gas cluster, CEO Leonid Mikhelson said.

Kazakhstan, Russia Agree to Contaminated Oil Compensation — Kazakh Minister

Kazakhstan and Russia have agreed on compensation of $15 per barrel for the contamination of Kazakh crude shipped through the pipelines of Russia's Transneft, Kazakh Energy Minister Kanat Bozumbayev told Reuters on Thursday.

Ukraine Seeking 'Full Recovery' of Gas Transport Costs from Russia

Ukraine is seeking a substantial payment from Russia for use of its pipelines to move Russian gas into Europe from 2020 but has still not received a Russian reply to its proposal, Naftogaz Chief Executive Andriy Kobolyev said on Friday.

Ukraine, Russia Fail to Reach Gas Deal for Europe but Agree to Meet Again

Russia and Ukraine failed to reach a new gas transit deal on Thursday, but said talks were "constructive" and they would meet again to try to find an agreement before the current one ends.

Bulgaria Signs up Saudi-Led Group for TurkStream Extension

Bulgaria's state gas company signed a $1.2 billion (1.1 billion euro ) contract on Wednesday with Saudi-led group Arkad to build a gas pipeline to carry mainly Russian natural gas.

Total Seeks Buyer for Tainted Russian Piped Oil

France's Total has issued a tender to sell 1.3 million barrels of contaminated Russian Urals crude oil for loading from Rotterdam port, according to three trading sources.

TurkStream 2nd String to Cross Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary

The second leg of the TurkStream gas pipeline is planned to go through Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak announced, as Moscow prepares to phase out gas transit to Europe via Ukraine.

Gazprom Expects Danish Approval of Nord Stream 2 by October

Russian gas producer Gazprom expects Denmark to agree to its route application for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany in October, the Russia International News agency (RIA) reported.

EU to Push for Progress in Ukraine-Russia Gas Talks

The European Union will do all it can to facilitate talks next week between Ukraine and Russia on future gas transits after their contract expires in January, the bloc's energy commissioner said on Wednesday.

Gazprom Signs 5-Year Natural Gas Deal with Turkmenistan

Gazprom has signed a five-year contract with Turkmengaz to purchase natural gas, the Russian gas producer sad.

EU's Top Court Curtails Gazprom Access to Nord Stream Pipeline Link

Europe's top court on Tuesday overruled a 2016 EU decision allowing Russia's Gazprom to ship more gas via the Opal gas pipeline, which links the company’s Nord Stream pipeline to Germany.

Putin Pushes For Potential Gas Pipeline Through Mongolia

Russian President Vladimir Putin told the head of state-controlled Gazprom to consider making Russian gas exports to China via Mongolia, the Kremlin said on Monday.

Clean-Up of Polish Section of Druzbha Pipeline Could Take a Year

The operator of the Polish section of the Druzbha oil pipeline said on Tuesday that it could take up to a year to completely clean its part of the network.

Rosneft says Transneft Offered No Solution to Tainted Oil Crisis

Kremlin-run oil giant Rosneft said on Tuesday that Transneft, which manages Russia's oil pipelines, had failed to deliver a solution to a tainted-oil crisis that slashed the country's crude exports, more than four months since it erupted.

Russian LPG Firm Battles Middle East for Chinese Market

An independent Russian producer has made a foray into China's market for LPG, jostling with Middle Eastern countries for what could be a lucrative foothold, market data showed and traders said.

Gazprom Braces for Decline in European Gas Exports, Prices

Kremlin-controlled energy giant Gazprom on Thursday conceded for the first time that its gas exports to Europe, as well as its prices, will decline in 2019 following record-high volumes last year.

Nord Stream 2 Investor OMV Says Project Can Still Meet Deadline

The chief executive of Austrian energy firm OMV said the Nord Stream 2 company has not changed its expected completion date and could still deliver the project on time and budget, despite Denmark's still-pending decision on a construction permit.

Ukraine Plans to Create Capacity for Romanian Gas Imports

Ukraine, preparing for a possible cut in Russian gas supplies, has agreed with neighboring Moldova to modernize their border gas metering stations so it can receive gas from Romania, Ukraine's gas transport company Ukrtransgaz said on Monday.