Leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines from Russia to Europe are a very serious development and highly suspicious, but a full investigation is needed to establish what happened, a western official said on Sept. 28.
The official did not blame Russia for the leaks but said President Vladimir Putin should undo his recent series of escalations over the invasion of Ukraine, especially nuclear rhetoric the official said was "deeply irresponsible."
Europe is investigating the cause of major leaks into the Baltic Sea from two Russian gas pipelines at the center of an energy standoff with Moscow. Poland's prime minister said it was an act of sabotage linked to Russia's escalation of the situation in Ukraine.
RELATED
Gas from Russia’s Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Leaks into Baltic Sea
Norway to Deploy its Military to Protect its Oil and Gas Installations
"On the pipelines, clearly, this looks very serious. The multiple explosions at the same time - it's very serious and is going to have to be investigated," the western official said, on condition of anonymity.
"It definitely looks highly suspicious, but I think we need to establish the facts and then attribute."
The Kremlin said on Sept. 28 claims that Russia was behind a possible attack on the Nord Stream pipelines were stupid, adding that the incident needed to be investigated and the timings for repair of the pipelines were not clear.
Following Ukraine's retaking of northeastern territory in a fierce counteroffensive, Putin has announced a partial military mobilization and stepped up rhetoric about Russia's preparedness to use nuclear weapons.
The western official said the heightened nuclear rhetoric might be a sign of Putin's panic and his possible realization that invading Ukraine was a mistake, warning that if he used such weapons there would be unspecified severe consequences.
The official called on Russia, as a member of the U.N. Security council, to stop using "deeply irresponsible" nuclear rhetoric and de-escalate the crisis.
"We are not going to be deterred from supporting Ukraine in defending its own territory," the official said. "[Russia] needs to pull back from this. And of course, there will be really severe consequences if they crossed this reddest of red lines."
Recommended Reading
E&P Highlights: May 13, 2024
2024-05-13 - Here’s a roundup of the latest E&P headlines, with a couple fields coming online, as well as new contract awards.
New Permian Math: Vital Energy and 42 Horseshoe Wells
2024-05-10 - Vital Energy anticipates making 42 double-long, horseshoe-shaped wells where straight lines would have made 84 wells. The estimated savings: $140 million.
SM Energy Targets Prolific Dean in New Northern Midland Play
2024-05-09 - KeyBanc Capital Markets reports SM Energy’s wells “measure up well to anything being drilled in the Midland Basin by anybody today.”
Vår Selling Norne Assets to DNO
2024-05-08 - In exchange for Vår’s producing assets in the Norwegian Sea, DNO is paying $51 million and transferring to Vår its 22.6% interest in the Ringhorne East unit in the North Sea.
Crescent Energy: Bigger Uinta Frac Now Making 60% More Boe
2024-05-10 - Crescent Energy also reported companywide growth in D&C speeds, while well costs have declined 10%.