Gazprom Pipelayer Idle off Kaliningrad

The Gazprom-operated Akademik Cherskiy pipelaying vessel, which Russia has indicated could complete the US-sanctioned Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany, is idling in the Baltic Sea, 6.3 km off the coast of Kaliningrad, ship-tracking data shows.

Swiss-based contractor Allseas halted work on the project in December when Washington imposed sanctions, leaving just 6% of the pipeline's offshore section left to complete.

NGW reported on May 1 that German regulator Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA) intended to reject Gazprom's application for Nord Stream 2 to be exempted from the EU's gas directive, which would require the company to cede majority control of the pipeline and ensure third-party access to its capacity.

"We are aware of the information shared by the German authority, BNetzA, with the participants in the procedure. We do not agree with this conclusion," the Gazprom-owned Nord Stream 2 operating company told NGW on May 3. "We will wait for the formal decision of the authority and of course evaluate it and further actions to preserve our rights."

Russian news agency Tass reported May 2 that the parties were expected to clarify their positions by May 8, and after that, the regulator would announce its final decision.