Locator: 48684UKRAINE.
Link here to Charles Kennedy over at oilprice.
In a contentiously pivotal move toward energy independence, Ukraine on Wednesday confirmed the launch of natural gas imports via the Trans-Balkan pipeline, bypassing Russian supply and allowing Ukraine to draw gas from European sources, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) imported through Greece and Azerbaijani gas from the Trans Adriatic Pipeline.
The Trans-Balkan pipeline, which historically carried Russian gas southward, has now been reversed to bring non-Russian gas northward into Ukraine.
A Ukrainian energy ministry source told Reuters that the corridor will enable the import of up to 1 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas by October, with June volumes expected to reach 100 million cubic meters.
Ukraine ceased transiting Russian gas to Europe at the end of 2024, choosing not to renew a longstanding agreement with Gazprom. Kyiv has emphasized that no Russian-origin gas will be involved in this newly activated corridor.
Pretty amazing. In the middle of a huge war, Ukraine is able to come up with a natural gas pipeline. Even the US was unable to get a Keystone XL pipeline approved during peacetime.
I don't know if folks recall or if folks are able to connect the dots, but the Keystone XL provided US refineries along the Texas - Louisiana coast the heavy oil from Canada they might need if heavy oil from Venezuela was interrupted. But it was not to be. And now, every president has to thread the needle justifying the US to import heavy oil from Venezuela.
Having said that, I assume the "new" pipeline is on Putin's target list.
