Russia has started filling the Nord Stream pipeline with technical gas
from the Portovaya compression stations, RIA Novosti reports.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrived for the event. Nitrogen
will be removed from the German side. The first portion of the Nord
Stream gas will be available in early October. The pipeline has a
capacity of 27.5 billion cubic meters annually.
Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller, head of the Nord Stream AG commission of
shareholders Gerhard Shreder, managing director Mattias Varnig and
Russian Vice-Premier Igor Sechin arrived for the ceremony.
Nord Stream will export Russian gas to Europe. It is 1,220 km long and
runs under the Baltic Sea from Vyborg in Russia to Greifswald in
Germany. Its cap will increase to 55 billion cubic meters by autumn
2012. Gazprom has deals with all EU clients, including Germany,
Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, France and the UK.
Putin said in July that a third line of the Nord Stream may be constructed.
Shareholders of the Nord Stream are Gazprom, Wintershall Holding and
E.ON Ruhrgas (Germany), GDF Suez (France) and Gasunie (Netherlands).
Gazprom holds 51A% of shares, Wintershall Holding and E.ON Ruhrgas -
15.5% each, Gasunie and GDF Suez - 9% each.
