Gazprom Says EU Gas Needs Met After German Flow Reversed

(Bloomberg) --

Gazprom PJSC said it’s meeting European demand in full after German data showed natural-gas flows through a key transit route reversed direction over the weekend. 

Russia’s fuel flows sent through the Yamal-Europe pipeline from Poland to Germany’s Mallnow station went to zero early Saturday, according to data from the grid operator Gascade. Instead, it reported so-called reverse flows, with gas going eastward through the station toward Poland. 

“Fluctuations in demand for Russian gas depend on the actual needs of buyers,” Gazprom’s press service said Saturday in a statement when asked about the flows. Gascade didn’t respond to a Bloomberg request for comment outside normal business hours. 

Russian gas was still entering Poland’s territory through Yamal-Europe via the Kondratki station on the border with Belarus, according to Polish network operator Gaz-System. Gas is delivered to the country via Kondratki on the east and Mallnow on the west through a “reverse mode,” a spokesperson for Gaz-System said, adding that there’s currently no demand for gas transit toward Germany.

Russian gas shipments through Yamal-Europe, one of several routes Gazprom uses to deliver its fuel to the region, have been far below capacity this month. That’s caused accusations from some European Union officials that the country is withholding supply to pressure the region into accelerating approvals for its controversial new pipeline, Nord Stream 2. 

Gazprom has repeatedly said that it meets all contractual obligations and is ready to increase deliveries whenever possible.  

Poland not only receives its gas from Russia directly, but also via a so-called virtual reverse, which can become a physical one -- reported by Gascade -- depending on requested volumes. 

It’s not unheard of for weekend flows to drop, given lower demand from industrial users. With the end of the month approaching, some monthly requests may have already been met. 

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