And study of satellite images captured by the Norwegian company Rystad Energy points out that Russia could be burning daily a possible surplus of around to 4.3 million cubic meters of gas per day (about ten million euros) in a new liquefied gas facility near the Finnish border.
The images capture a huge flare that has also been sighted by Finnish residents on the border, active since July 11. Rystad Energy Vice President for Gas Markets Sindre Knutsson estimates that Russia “would already have burned enough gas to supply 1.5 million European homes,” according to statements to Sky News.
Though experts do not rule out that this burning is part of the test procedures at the Portovay planta, also believe that “the magnitude and duration of this continuous burning period are quite extreme” for simple tests.
This plant, which is located northwest of Saint Petersburg and whose commissioning is scheduled for this year, is close to a compressor station for the ‘Nord Stream 1’ gas pipeline that runs from Russia to Germany.
supply was cut for 10 days in July while annual pipeline maintenance was being carried out and, although it has since resumed, gas flow is running at a fifth of capacity.
“We cannot know the exact reason for the burning because we have not had any communication from Russia or from the (state operator) Gazprom. There are many potential reasons, but we don’t know the exact one,” added Knutsson.