Leaks from the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines have finally stopped after three separate cracks were discovered in the natural gas pipelines last week, the Danish Energy Agency said. Danish quality said on Sunday.
Nord Stream AG, the company that manages the pipeline, told the agency that “stable pressure appears to have been achieved on the two Nord Stream 1 pipelines,” meaning gas is no longer flowing out of them, the agency said. said in a statement on Twitter.
Two main lines – built to supply natural gas from Russia to Germany – were cut in three separate places last week after explosions under the Baltic Sea.
Although the official cause has not been determined, political leaders in Europe and the United States consider the incident an act of vandalism, as much speculation about responsibility has focused on Russia, the energy company state-controlled, Gazprom, the main owner of the pipelines.
Spokesman for Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, Dmitri S. Peskov, dismissed the view that Russian sabotage was “stupid” and suggested that the United States was behind the attacks.
Both pipelines were inactive transporting gas at the time, but they still contained methane, the main component of natural gas. Gas leak create a stream of bubbles half a mile wide near Denmark and Sweden, raising questions about the incident environmental impact. Although methane is partially soluble in water and non-toxic, it is a greenhouse gas.
These pipelines have caused conflict over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for months.
The German government put the Nord Stream 2 project on hold in February, just as Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. And Nord Stream 1 appears to be part of a larger Russian strategy to use energy against Europe As punishment for opposing the war.
Nord Stream 1 hasn’t shipped gas into Europe for weeks, with Russia citing maintenance to shut down the line. Europe widely interprets the shutdown as a threat that Mr. Putin could cut off Ukraine’s allies as winter approaches.
