Russian Oil and Gas Industry: News #3

kvs wrote:

Now that gas spot prices are hitting around $400 per thousand cubic meters while in the last two years they fell as low as $40,
the EU is demanding that Gazprom ship more volumes through Ukraine.   The chutzpah.   These clowns have been economically
and politically sabotaging Russia and Gazprom for years.   The Ukrainian route is by far the most expensive for Gazprom.  Also,
Gazprom is fulfilling all its contract obligations and is not required to supply extra volumes to the spot market.   Eat it, U-rope.

God-damned Euro-faggot degenerate trash can go and pound sand

If they want increased volumes then they can grant Gazprom dispensation for NS2 to not be subject to their nonsensical extra-territorial EU enery charter treaty. Then they can beg Russia for favours, even though they deserve NOTHING. Clueless beggars don't get to impose their arrogant fever-dreams on their benefactors

GarryB wrote:
I think these days the Russians will be less inclined to take such nonsense... so let them try... it should be interesting to see their response... I hope I am not disappointed... but if the purpose of the Ukraine pipe being cut is NSII and SS then when they are in place the only reason to worry would be if Poland decided to cut Kaliningrad from the gas supplies... but then the best Russian solution would be to add extra pipes from NSII down to Kaliningrad through international waters so no permission needed from anyone... no delays...

The only thing Poland can do to the Kaliningrad enclave concerning the gas supply is blowing them.
They operate an LNG terminal not much smaller than the one build as "an investment of a quarter-century" here in Świnoujście, having just around 2 mln people living there.
Besides, they pump the gas from Belarus via Lithuania, avoiding the whole of Poland. The pipeline links Minsk, Vilnus, Kaunas and Kaliningrad at the end.

Fortuna has less than 50 kilometers to finish building Nord Stream 2

The Fortuna barge is slowly but confidently moving towards the finish line of the Nord Stream 2 construction. With the current speed and favorable weather, the vessel could complete the project by September.

Over the past three days, the Fortuna barge has laid 3,300 meters of the second string of Nord Stream 2 in the Danish economic zone in the Baltic Sea. In total, more than 36 kilometers were completed along it. A little more than 32 kilometers remain in Danish waters, and 16.5 kilometers in German waters.

At the current speed of 1,100 meters, "Fortuna" can meet until September. However, much depends on the weather. Now it is favorable and the ship is operating at high speeds for itself. It is served by nine supply vessels.

The German regulator has established that the construction of the site in Germany, which will be completed last, should be completed by October.

The pipelayer "Akademik Chersky", meanwhile, is still in the construction area, but is not laying it. Despite the modernization, the vessel was never able to lay more than 600 meters per day and was replaced by Fortuna after she completed the construction of the first string, which is now undergoing commissioning.

The average laying speed of the second string since the beginning of May is 550 meters.

In Europe, there is not enough gas to be pumped into storage facilities and prices are rising. At the same time, LNG suppliers, including those from the United States, are reducing supplies, as they redirect cargo to more profitable markets in Asia and South America. Gazprom, on the other hand, fulfills its contractual obligations and promises to satisfy additional applications after the launch of Nord Stream 2, one of which may be launched in the fall.

“Russia has decided not to book additional annual capacity through Ukraine and Poland, frightening the market, which already fears that the supply will decline,” Bloomberg reporter Stephen Stapzinski wrote on Twitter. He added that capacities were being sold at auctions since October 1, but this was enough for the market to react with an increase in prices. “Now more than ever, Europe’s chances of“ bypassing ”gas shortages in winter depend on the launch of“ Nord Stream 2, ”says Stephen Stapzinski.

https://k--politika-ru.translate.goog/fortune-ostalos-dostroit-menee-50-kilometrov-severnogo-potoka-2/?utm_source=finobzor.ru&_x_tr_sch=http&_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB&_x_tr_pto=ajax,se,elem

The skirmish with Nord Stream 2 ended for Kiev with an unexpected blow from the south

Gennady Ryabtsev, director of special projects at the Ukrainian STC Psyche, spoke about the economic losses of Ukraine, which the country's authorities overlooked in an empty struggle with Nord Stream 2.

Ryabtsev, in an interview with local media reporters, said that while the Ukrainian side was broadcasting to the entire Western world about the dangers that SP-2 poses to the country's economy, Kiev missed a serious economic blow. We are talking about the Russian gas pipeline "Balkan Stream", which will start deliveries of fuel to Hungary on October 1, bypassing Nezalezhnaya.

"The loss of 25 billion cubic meters is evidenced by the corresponding contract, which was signed between Gazprom and Naftogaz. 65 billion cubic meters were indicated for the first year of transit, and 40 billion for the next. Why did the quantity decrease so much? Because Ukraine was bypassed," - said Ryabtsev.

He noted that the losses of the Ukrainian side in this regard have already exceeded those expected from the side of "SP-2". According to Ryabtsev, the Ukrainian route will now remain a reserve one, and will be used only in case of unforeseen circumstances. Gas pumping along the Ukrainian route will halve and stop at around 20-25 billion cubic meters per year.

It should be noted that the main curator of Kiev - Washington - did not care about the "Balkan Stream", because no measures were taken against it. In the fight against SP-2, the United States hoped to hinder the economic rapprochement between the FRG and Russia, and not to protect the interests of Ukraine, but this plan also failed. The construction of Nord Stream 2 was completed and the United States did not want to go on further escalation with the Russian Federation.

ttps://nation--news-ru.translate.goog/640390-skhvatka-s-severnym-potokom-2-zakonchilas-dlya-kieva-neozhidannym-udarom-s-yuga

franco wrote:
It should be noted that the main curator of Kiev - Washington - did not care about the "Balkan Stream", because no measures were taken against it. In the fight against SP-2, the United States hoped to hinder the economic rapprochement between the FRG and Russia, and not to protect the interests of Ukraine, but this plan also failed. The construction of Nord Stream 2 was completed and the United States did not want to go on further escalation with the Russian Federation.

Perhaps the writer has forgotten about South Stream, the original southern pipeline to bypass Ukraine via Bulgaria. The US definitely stopped that, making the Russians go the long way round via Turkey.

If you look at the path of the pipeline under the Black Sea, it turns south to Turkey at the point it was supposed to go straight on the Bulgaria.

A loss for Bulgaria, not Russia.

But this is an obvious thing just from the beginning.
The only real cause of targeting Nord Stream is the fact of who is the beneficiary.
It is developed and rich Western Europe, especially big industrial powers like Germany, Netherlands, and France.
Piping them directly to the supplier makes any actions to paralyze them problematic.

Oil price is also close to 80$ again.

I´m wondering if Gazprom couldn´t sell the 50% free capacity to some "private" russian company? Or some innocent company registered in Cyprus?

"Akademik Chersky" found application in the "Nord Stream - 2"

The pipelayer, which was removed from the construction route due to slow work, will complete the section of the second string of the Baltic gas pipeline in the German shallow water from the German side and help the Fortuna barge complete the entire project faster.

In July, the idle Akademik Chersky pipelayer will return to the Nord Stream 2 completion line. According to the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV) in its warning to seafarers, from July 17, the vessel will lay the gas pipeline using anchor positioning in the shallow Adlergrund section in the German economic zone in the Baltic Sea.

The regulator indicates that the work will be carried out until August 15. According to the published coordinates, the section will be 2.6 kilometers long. In December last year, the barge "Fortuna" completed one line on it, but for unknown reasons did not lay the second one. The sea depth at the site does not exceed 22 meters.

The Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration warns that the buffer zone around the Russian pipelayer will be 1.25 miles. It will be controlled by two ships.

Thus, from mid-July, the completion of the last, second string of Nord Stream 2 will begin in four hands. The barge "Fortuna" will be laid from the side of Denmark, and the "Akademik Chersky" - from the side of Germany.

From February to June, the Fortuna barge completely completed the B line of Nord Stream 2 in Danish and German waters and stopped in the first decade of June instead of the more modern Akademik Chersky to complete the A line.

In May - September 2020, the pipelayer underwent modernization and retrofitting and, according to tender documents, was supposed to lay up to 2 kilometers per day. Having risen, however, on line A, Akademik Chersky completed the construction of an average of 600 meters per day and laid 17 kilometers of the gas pipeline in a month and a half.

Now the pipelayer is in the area of ​​work, but does not take part in them.

The barge "Fortuna", meanwhile, continues to complete the construction of the second string of the gas pipeline, and in Danish waters it remains to complete a little more than 28 kilometers. In German - 16.5 kilometers, 2.6 of which will be laid in July - August "Akademik Chersky". Judging by the speed of work, the construction of a gas pipeline from Russia to Germany may be completed by the end of August.

https://k--politika-ru.translate.goog/akademiku-cherskomu-nashli-primenenie-na-severnom-potoke-2/?utm_source=finobzor.ru&_x_tr_sch=http&_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB&_x_tr_pto=ajax,se,elem

kvs wrote:Too bad none of these articles investigate the nature of the problem.   If the specification was for 2 km/day, then that is not
some hot air but actual engineering.   If it failed at 1/3 this rate, there must be explanations.  

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:899194/mmsi:273399760/imo:8770261/vessel:AKADEMIK_CHERSKIY

AKADEMIK CHERSKIY (IMO: 8770261) is a Pipe Layer that was built in 1970 (51 years ago)
and is sailing under the flag of Russia. It's carrying capacity is 11036 t DWT and her current
draught is reported to be 6.7 meters. Her length overall (LOA) is 150 meters and her width is
38.5 meters.

FORTUNA (IMO: 8674156) is a Pipelay Crane Vessel that was built in 2010 (11 years ago) and
is sailing under the flag of Russia. It's carrying capacity is 32219 t DWT and her current
draught is reported to be 7.9 meters. Her length overall (LOA) is 169.93 meters and her
width is 46 meters.

It seems to me that the Fortuna has the advantage of stability.   It is heavier based on size and
also larger in horizontal dimensions.   It is not just about being able to maneuver in the currents,
its also about resistance to wobbling on account of waves.    The Fortuna will have less wobble.

I guess after this experience, Russia will consider an alternative to the Cherskiy.    The Swiss layer
was massive and that is not an accident.

Specification and real-life speed are two different things

Stormy weather in the Baltics limits the average speed, as well as other factors

Nord Stream 2 98% ready, construction works to be over in August - operator, 11.07.2021.

According to Matthias Warnig, managing director of Nord Stream 2 AG, three months will be needed to receive various certificates and undergo trials.

BERLIN, July 11. /TASS/. Construction works under the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project may be finished already in August, Matthias Warnig, managing director of Nord Stream 2 AG, the project operator, said in an interview with the Handelsblatt newspaper on Sunday.

"We believe that construction works will be over by the end of August," he said, adding that the construction is 98% completed by now.

According to Warnig, three months will be needed to receive various certificates and undergo trials. The process has already kicked off in respect of the pipeline’s first line that has already been completed. Our goal is "to commission [the project] already this year," he noted.

He said he was convinced gas transit via Ukraine would be continues after 2024, as the West wanted. "Transit via Ukraine will still be part of Russian gas transportation to Europe even after 2024. I have not a slightest doubt," he stressed.

When asked about losses from the US sanctions, he said, "They cost us a 1.5-year delay" and an appreciation of hundreds of millions.

Nord Stream 2 is an international project for the construction of a gas pipeline that will run across the bottom of the Baltic Sea from the Russian coast to Germany bypassing transit states, such as Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and other Eastern European and Baltic countries.

The new 1,230-kilometer pipeline, basically following the same route as Nord Stream, traverses the economic zones and territorial water of five countries, namely Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany.

Works under the project were suspended in December 2019 after Allseas, a Swiss company laying the pipes for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, suspended pipe-laying works over possible US sanctions and recalled its ships. Works were resumed in December 2020.

https://tass.com/economy/1312843

Ukraine knocks out generous compensation for Nord Stream 2, 21.07.2021.

On the eve of the meeting between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a whole list of compensation options for Nord Stream 2 appeared. Either stop the construction, or pay compensation - Kiev is not considering the third option. What can Ukrainian political elites really count on?

The Ukrainian leadership is still confident that there is an opportunity to stop the construction of Nord Stream 2. “Speculation that he is almost ready is an exaggeration. It can be stopped at any stage, "- said the deputy head of the office of the President of Ukraine Igor Zhovkva in an interview with Telegraph.

According to him, the gas pipeline allegedly threatens the security of both Ukraine and the whole of Europe. However, this mantra of Ukrainian politicians is not new. “We need to take it more seriously, it is possible that new projects will follow this project,” Zhovkva frightens.

Such self-deception is practiced by Ukrainian politicians, apparently with the aim of "knocking out" money from Europe, primarily from Germany, in the form of some kind of compensation.

According to the German magazine Spiegel, Germany can offer Ukraine billions to repair the country's destroyed gas network in order to settle the differences between Berlin and Washington over Nord Stream 2. One of the solutions may be to offer Ukraine compensation for the fact that it is losing its significance as a transit country for Russian gas. Among other things, an option is being discussed in which Germany can "offer the government of Kiev cooperation in the production of hydrogen." In addition, discussions are underway about a possible "promise" of the German side to allocate billions for the repair of the "completely destroyed" gas network in Ukraine.

This is a clear probing of the ground before the meeting of German Chancellor Angela Merkel with Vladimir Zelensky. The purpose of the meeting is clear in advance - Ukraine, according to the old tradition, will demand money. Will she get them?

For a start, it is worthwhile to figure out what could hinder the completion of Nord Stream 2, as the Ukrainian politician assures. With 99% already nothing, says Igor Yushkov, an expert at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, an expert at the National Energy Security Fund.

“In theory, the Europeans can stop construction by imposing sanctions, but for this Russia must conditionally bomb a European city, that is, this is a fantastic scenario. We see that there are no obstacles for construction: all permits for pipe-laying work in both Danish and German waters have been received. The Europeans have been under pressure from the Americans all this time, but they have not abandoned the Nord Stream 2 project. They haven't been imposing sanctions all this time, so why should they do it now? " - says the interlocutor.

Moreover, the first string of Nord Stream 2 has already been completed, and now commissioning is underway. Gazprom is collecting the necessary documents for certification and obtaining a permit for commissioning.

The latest data indicate that the process of completing the second line has accelerated: Akademik Chersky, which previously followed Fortuna, but was in reserve, now also joined the construction. Now two vessels are working simultaneously on completing the second line. “Akademik Chersky” went to the German water area and will finish building the pipe, moving towards “Fortune” in the Danish water area, ”says Yushkov.

The second line and, accordingly, the entire gas pipeline will be completed by the end of August. This was announced on Sunday by the head of the operator of the Nord Stream 2 AG project, Matthias Warnig. Now the pipeline is 98% complete.

According to Yushkov's forecast, the first line will most likely be put into operation by September, and the first gas will flow through it within the framework of commercial orders. The second line will start accepting gas for buyers, most likely in October this year.

Even the Americans are unlikely to interfere with the commissioning of the gas pipeline. “If earlier the Americans said that they would stop the project at all costs, then, in fact, they admitted that they could not stop the construction, although their sanctions prohibit it. But they refused from sanctions against the commissioning of the gas pipeline. “Biden openly said that for the United States, relations with Europe and Germany are more expensive than the significance of stopping Nord Stream 2,” Yushkov says.

That is, in fact, Ukraine has no trump cards up its sleeve. “Perhaps precisely because Kiev understands that the Europeans will not stop Nord Stream 2, it demands at least some kind of compensation,” Yushkov says. Ukrainian politicians, for obvious reasons, are silent about the third option - when the Russian gas pipeline works, and Kiev does not receive any compensation. Although the latter option is the most logical.

At least until 2024, Ukraine will continue to receive guaranteed 1.2 billion euros for the transit of Russian gas through its gas transmission system. Even if Gazprom pumps less than 40 billion cubic meters a year or does not pump anything at all through Ukraine, Kiev will receive its money. These are the terms of the transit contract. And by 2024, everyone will have forgotten about this story, the FNEB expert does not exclude.

In any case, the options for obtaining compensation look unrealistic. “Giving money for the modernization of the Ukrainian pipe is pointless. Because there is no country that would like to pump gas in transit through the Ukrainian territory, ”says Yushkov. The maximum that Kiev can count on is pumping 10-15 billion cubic meters of gas. But for this, the entire Ukrainian GTS is not needed, most of it will go for scrap.

Therefore, Kiev raises another topic - hydrogen. This is a very popular topic in Germany and the European Union in light of the plans for energy transition from carbon to cleaner energy sources.

“The idea of ​​building some capacities for the production of hydrogen in Ukraine is good geopolitically and because no one understands what it is, where it will be located and where it will be taken from. But in this troubled water, Ukrainian political elites can fish, ”Yushkov said.

However, Ukraine has nowhere to get hydrogen. “Ukraine can build a bunch of renewable energy facilities and make green hydrogen. But the Europeans can do it on their own. The second option is to make hydrogen from Ukrainian gas. However, Ukraine does not have excess gas for hydrogen production, ”Yushkov says. The country produces about 20 billion cubic meters of gas per year, but consumes about 30 billion cubic meters, that is, the Ukrainians have to import 10 billion cubic meters.

Another option is to make hydrogen from dirty coal. But, firstly, Brussels is unlikely to like this idea. Secondly, Ukraine has become a deficit country in coal, because it lost the Donbass, refuses to trade with it, and in general there is no dialogue with it. Instead of cheap Donetsk coal, Ukrainians prefer to import more expensive imported coal.

You can also combine the two ideas and ask to modernize the Ukrainian pipe for transporting future hydrogen through it. However, the same problem arises here: where will Ukraine get hydrogen for pumping through its territory? She could have taken it from Russia. Moscow does have plans to produce blue hydrogen from gas in the future, given the demand in Europe. And even pumping it through the existing gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea and even through the proposed "Nord Stream - 3" is being discussed. However, according to Yushkov, the hydrogen theme is still poorly developed. One option is that Russia builds plants for the production of hydrogen from gas and pumps it through the Baltic pipes. Another option is to continue pumping gas through pipes, and the Germans themselves will produce hydrogen from it.

“Whichever option you take, we are talking about giving Ukraine money, and where it will spend it - do not ask. Ukrainian political elites will simply plunder this money, no matter what purpose it is given. Their goal is to take the money and run away. The current political team does not look further than the electoral cycle, because it will soon be replaced. Nobody thinks about the future of Ukraine. This happens all the time in Ukraine, ”the expert concludes.

Text: Olga Samofalova

https://m.vz.ru/economy/2021/7/11/1108386.html

The enemy of Nord Stream 2 is rapidly losing in Germany, by Peter Akopov for RIA Novosti, 15.07.2021.

It did not work out with the female kingdom in Germany - and after all, three months ago it seemed that everything was going exactly to this, that is, Angela Merkel would be replaced by a new Frau Chancellor in the fall.

The Green Party, which nominated 40-year-old Annalena Berbock as a candidate for the post of chancellor, began to rapidly gain popularity - and at some point its ratings even surpassed the ratings of the now ruling CDU- CSU and approached the 30% mark. It seemed more and more likely that after the September elections the "greens" would not only enter the new ruling coalition, but also become the main force there, take the chancellor's chair.

But Annalena Berbock's rise was as rapid as her fall - and it is not yet clear whether it has stopped. Berbock was promoted so strongly by the German media, it became so much everywhere and everywhere that people began to be disappointed in it. Of course, the revealed inconsistencies in her biography (like organizations in which she actually never belonged), and party payments not indicated in the declaration, and plagiarism in her book helped. The sins are not particularly grave, but in the aggregate, they have caused an unpleasant effect for the "greens": now their ratings are already in the region of 17-20 percent and may slide even much downward. And the most unpleasant thing for the "greens" - the positions of the parties of the ruling coalition began to recover.

Yes, the CDU-CSU no longer has Merkel's 35 percent or more, but 28 percent is not bad at present. And the SPD, which fell almost to single-digit numbers, unexpectedly managed to regain some of its lost sympathies - and now it has almost as much as the “greens”. This does not mean that the current coalition will remain after the September elections, its collapse is almost predetermined, like Merkel's departure. But the resurrection of the Social Democrats and the growing sympathy for Merkel's heir Amin Lashet show that, in any case, the old parties will still form a new coalition - regardless of whether it is with a left or right bias. Of course, the “greens” will be called into the coalition, but they are far from playing the main roles (and if the current trends continue, then they will not even play secondary roles).

Because the Greens are now playing an openly pro-Atlantic game - which is ridiculous for a party that emerged more than forty years ago, including from the anti-war, anti-NATO movement. No, the "greens" did not become militarists - but the party is so tightly embedded in globalist projects and structures (that is, the Anglo-Saxon matrix) that, in fact, it plays against the establishment of Russian-German relations. This is most clearly manifested in the story of Nord Stream 2 . Berbock is in favor of abandoning an almost completed project, and all of her arguments, including environmental ones, are frankly speculative.

The pipeline threatens the security of Ukraine , Berbock says - that, they say, Putin has confirmed this (it is clear that this is a fiction). And it does not meet the foreign policy interests of the EU and its "eastern neighbors" - that is, the same Ukraine. And what is in line with the foreign policy interests of Europe ? Buying American LNG? Support for the crazy plans of atlantizing Ukraine?

In addition, Berbock believes that SP-2 "interferes with European energy sovereignty" - but how can the EU's energy sovereignty be ensured if all sources of energy are abandoned, from nuclear power plants to natural gas? Green energy is not only very expensive (that is, it reduces the competitiveness of the European Union ), but in any case is not capable of replacing conventional energy. This is well understood by the majority of Germans - despite all the propaganda efforts of globalists who convince everyone that there is no alternative to a "green future".

The drop in ratings is painfully perceived by the "greens" - they are already talking about the persecution of Berbock, that she is being treated exactly as a woman ... That is, they are also trying to play on feminism - which, after 16 years of Merkel's rule, looks really cheap.

The chairman of the Bundestag Wolfgang Schaeuble responded well to such allegations . He recalled the old adage that "if you can't stand the heat, you have nothing to do in the kitchen." Indeed, the election campaign turned out to be too difficult for Annalena Berbock, but this happened because in the German political arena the "greens" had long existed in almost hothouse conditions.

Yes, at the turn of the century they were part of the ruling coalition at the all-German level (in the government of Gerhard Schroeder ), and one of the German states, Baden-Württemberg , has been headed by the "green" Winfried Kretschmann for ten years. However, until recently, no one perceived them as a force capable of playing a major role at the federal level. And now, against the background of the crisis of the "people's parties" (that is, the CDU-CSU and the SPD), when the "greens" suddenly began to claim the first roles, they were carefully crushed.

Precisely accurately - against the background of what they did and are doing with another contender for the first roles, "Alternative for Germany". Unable to simply ban this parliamentary party (whose ratings reached 20 percent), it is simply demonized, ignored and isolated (in fact, by prohibiting other parties from cooperating with Alternative at any level), accused of defamatory ties with abroad (of course, with Russia), put under the supervision of special services. Nothing of the kind threatens the "greens" even close, because "Alternative" is a real counter-elite party that categorically does not suit the ruling establishment.

And the "greens" are just one of the systemic players, albeit under too noticeable foreign influence. But this is the influence of someone whom the German elite cannot even name - Atlantic, globalist structures. Therefore, the "green" are simply gently promoted to the place to which they have already grown up - the junior partner of serious people. Who will rule Germany after Merkel's departure - like Wolfgang Schäuble, a 78-year-old heavyweight who had a great chance to become chancellor even before any Merkel appeared.

Angela crossed his path, but he retained both influence and ambition. And he is not going to go anywhere - now "number two" in the country (and the post of head of the Bundestag is higher than the post of chancellor according to the German constitution) is running for parliament again. To continue guiding the FRG is a serious matter, not for the "green" Angela crossed his path, but he retained both influence and ambition. And he is not going to go anywhere - now "number two" in the country (and the post of head of the Bundestag is higher than the post of chancellor according to the German constitution) is running for parliament again. To continue guiding the FRG is a serious matter, not for the "green" Annalena.

https://ria.ru/20210715/proigrysh-1741274403.html

NOTE: Interesting read explaining some of the technical challenges.

Completion of Nord Stream 2: who will be responsible for the Akademik Chersky fiasco

Latest news from the construction of SP-2: July 17, KMTUS "Akademik Chersky" returns to the "A" branch. This was reported by the German Federal Administration for Waterways and Shipping. Its task: by 15 August to lay 2.6 km of pipe in the exceptional German economic zone in shallow water in the area of ​​the Adlergrund bank (there the depth is not more than 22 m). "Akademik Chersky" will move towards TUB "Fortuna", which is laying its part of the route in the exclusive Danish economic zone at depths of 60 to 63 meters. At the moment, Fortuna has 59 km to go (in this figure, both the Danish and German sections of the pipe). The latter is 14.4 km, of which 2.6 km is shallow water; Chersky will not be able to pull further 2.6 km, because it is more convenient to dock the two parts of the gas pipeline at shallow depths.

What follows from this? Putin is in a hurry, the blood from his nose must have time to lay the pipe before September 26, before the day of elections to the Bundestag. Now the weather in the Baltic has deteriorated somewhat. And although the temperature is kept in the region of 20 дожд, but with rains and thunderstorms, the wind speed is from 9 to 12 m / s, with gusts up to 16 m / s. With this wind, the laying speed decreases. The fact is that when the wind increases over 10 m / s for Chersky and over 8 m / s for Fortuna, they have to drop the pipe so as not to lead to an accident. The Swiss "Pioneering Spirit" could operate at a wind speed of 6 m / s, without dropping the pipe at all and without reducing the laying speed (its maximum speed was 4.8 km / day). It should also be borne in mind that it takes 12 hours for Chersky to lift the pipe, and almost a day for Fortuna (from the moment the hook operation starts to the start of the laying movement). Moreover,the speed of laying is also significantly influenced by the height of the wave (sea agitation), I'm not talking about the depth and topography of the bottom, the direction of the wind, the course to the wave, the speed of the current, the density of the water and the presence of floating algae. This summer, the weather at the place of work did not work out. Locals will not remember such a frequency of storm winds on the Pomeranian seaside. If the weather conditions allowed, the “Akademik Chersky” according to its technical characteristics is capable of laying up to 3.15 km / day (with a wind speed of no more than 4 m / s), and “Fortuna” up to 1.21 km / day (with a wind no more than 3 m / s). As the wind speed increases, the paving speed naturally decreases.This summer, the weather at the place of work did not work out. Locals will not remember such a frequency of storm winds on the Pomeranian seaside. If the weather conditions allowed, the “Akademik Chersky” according to its technical characteristics is capable of laying up to 3.15 km / day (with a wind speed of no more than 4 m / s), and “Fortuna” up to 1.21 km / day (with a wind no more than 3 m / s). As the wind speed increases, the paving speed naturally decreases.This summer, the weather at the place of work did not work out. Locals will not remember such a frequency of storm winds on the Pomeranian seaside. If the weather conditions allowed, the “Akademik Chersky” according to its technical characteristics is capable of laying up to 3.15 km / day (with a wind speed of no more than 4 m / s), and “Fortuna” up to 1.21 km / day (with a wind no more than 3 m / s). As the wind speed increases, the paving speed naturally decreases.

But the trouble is that Akademik Chersky did not reach its design indicators, giving a maximum of 400 to 700 m / day, which is why it was replaced by Fortuna. Fortuna has been setting records for laying speed in recent days, reaching 1.3 km / day. The section in German territorial waters, which Akademik Chersky would pass instead of her in 2 days, while Chersky is given almost a month. You yourself understand that not from a good life - at “Ak. Chersky "are obvious problems, but Putin is in a hurry. Even two days count.

How we got to such a life. History of the issue

As of December 21, 2019, when the Swiss company Allseas with its famous pipe-laying vessels Pioneering Spirit, Solitaire and Audacia, due to US sanctions announced by Trump, suspended its participation in the project and withdrew its vessels from the Baltic sea, on both branches of the SP-2 she had to lay 148 km of pipes out of the planned 2,460 km. At the moment, out of the remaining 148 km, Fortuna's efforts have laid 63 km of the B branch, the remaining 85 km of the A branch was to be laid by Akademik Chersky. And on April 27, 2021, he started these works ("Fortuna" has been working there since December 2020). But for reasons beyond his control, "Chersky" failed. As a result, on the night of June 15, TUB "Fortuna" changed it to the "A" branch. At the time of replacement, he only had to stretch 68 km of pipe, i.e. in 49 days of work, he laid only 17 km.Crazy productivity - 350 m / day at a design paving speed of 3.15 km / day.

Considering the cost of KMTUS "Akademik Chersky", which exceeds 1 billion dollars, this is a fiasco. The conventional pipe-laying barge TUB "Fortuna" (although it is not ordinary at all!), Which, unlike the "academician", does not have a dynamic positioning system that allows keeping the vessel on course without using anchors, coped with the task cheaper, and most importantly, faster.

TUB "Fortuna"

What is Fortuna? It is an anchor barge with a 12-point positioning system for the construction of offshore subsea pipelines. Built at the Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. in Shanghai in 2010, modernized in 2011. Total displacement - 39,989 tons, dimensions - 169 meters in length and 46 in width, height - more than 13.5 m, draft - from 5 to 9 meters. Maximum pipe laying depth - 200 m. Crew - 310 people. The barge is equipped with a 12-anchor positioning system, with anchors weighing 20 tons. To supply electricity at Fortuna there are 4 diesel generators of 2500 kW each. The lifting equipment consists of a crawler crane with a lifting capacity of 250 tons and a standard ship crane on the left side of the vessel with a lifting capacity of 40 tons.

After the modernization carried out in 2012, a crane with a lifting capacity of 1600 tons (300 tons at an outreach of 72 m) was installed on the vessel. Also on the deck, it is possible to install a standard crane with a lifting capacity of up to 2.5-3 thousand tons. About the design speed of pipe laying at 1.21 km / day (with a wind of no more than 3 m / s), I have already said above. About the disadvantages in the form of the lack of a dynamic positioning system, too. Before the appearance of "Chersky" was the flagship of the Russian pipe-laying fleet. It seems that it remains so. Owner: KVT-Rus LLC, Moscow, although before the sanctions it was part of the MRTS fleet (Mezhregiontruboprovodstroy). Previously, the port of registration was Hong Kong, now it is Arkhangelsk.

KMTUS "Academician Chersky"

The main purpose of KMTUS "Akademik Chersky" is to lay pipelines with a diameter of Ø 6 - 60 inches (outer Ø, including coating). And his story is not at all ordinary, but as if written specifically for a cool spy series. The pipe-laying vessel Akademik Chersky (formerly Jascon 18) IMO: 8770261, was laid down in 2007 in China at the Jiangsu Hantong Ship Heavy Industry shipyard in Tongzhou by order of the Nigerian-Dutch company Sea Trucks Group Limited (STG). The project was developed by the Norwegian company Vik-Sandvik. The Jascon-18 is a multipurpose construction support vessel. In June 2011, Jascon-18 arrived at the Kwong-Soon shipyard in Singapore for completion. In December 2015, the vessel was purchased by the Singapore branch of the Russian company MRTS.To purchase the vessel, the company, under the guarantee of Gazprom, issued a loan from Gazprombank in the amount of USD 1 billion. In January 2016, the ship was arrested in Singapore on a lawsuit filed by a shipyard for not paying the full construction cost. After the dispute was resolved, in June 2016, the ship was transferred to the balance sheet of Gazprom Flot LLC, which renamed it to Akademik Chersky (in honor of Nikolai Chersky, Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences). Until August 2017, it was in the Indonesian port of Batam, then it was relocated to the Russian Federation (then the SP-2 was only at the stage of signing and the use of an "academician" in it was not planned). Initially, Gazprom-Flot intended to use KMTUS for the development of the Kirinskoye gas condensate field in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk as an auxiliary vessel,why it was modernized and retrofitted at the Nakhodka shipyard. All work was completed by May 31, 2019 and cost the customer 813.763 million rubles.

However, when the problem with the completion of SP-2 surfaced, it turned out that KMTUS “Ak. Chersky "is not suitable for solving such problems, since it does not have the necessary welding and installation equipment. And then, urgently at the end of December 2019, Gazprom Flot announces an open tender for the execution of works on retrofitting KMTUS with welding and technological equipment. The cost of the work was estimated at 873.5 million rubles. A tender was announced, the results of which were announced on January 30, 2020. It was won by several Western companies. Retrofitting a vessel under the sanctions is a non-trivial task, to put it mildly. Nevertheless, European manufacturers contrived to equip the "academician" with the latest technologyby supplying the vessel with equipment worth at least $ 10 million. The Italians and the Dutch distinguished themselves. Italian company Nuova Patavium supplied pipe edge processing machines and electro-hydraulic power units for them, another Italian company Opus SRL supplied pneumatic centralizer elements for automatic pipe welding, and Dutch Vermaat Technics BV equipped the vessel with an ultra-modern computerized external orbital welding system Veraweld Torch System D. The Kremlin has cleverly bypassed US sanctions through a system of padding firms and under-invoicing. As they say, every cunning Santa Claus always has his own Macaulay Culkin (those who watched "Home Alone", they will understand). The final modernization and retrofitting of "Chersky" took place in the German port of Mukran on the island of Rügen - the logistics base of the SP-2, where he arrived,having made an unprecedented three-month transoceanic passage from the port of Nakhodka across three oceans (Pacific, Indian and Atlantic) around Africa, accompanied by convoy warships, calling at all possible ports. Such a round-the-world odyssey also cost Gazprom a pretty penny. And all this just in order to then swallow dust from under the hooves of some "Fortune"?

Main characteristics:

Displacement (summer): 30146 t
Gross tonnage: 29513 t
Length: 150 m
Width: 36.8 m Depth
: 15.1 m
Draft: 6.8 m
Max. speed: 12 knots
Cruising range: 18 720 miles
Dynamic positioning system: DP3
Anchor positioning system: 8 anchor
Cranes: main - SWL 1200 t (33 m) + SWL 600 t (29 m) = SWL 1800 t (27 m) , auxiliary - 2 x SWL 40 t (40 m)
Crew: 379 people.

The ship is equipped with a dynamic positioning system (DP3), which controls the course and position of the vessel, activating the motors based on information from the gyrocompass, wind sensor, and target position. This eliminates the need for anchor positioning system. But at the request of Germany, for work in shallow water during the modernization, the vessel was additionally equipped with an 8-anchor positioning anchor system.

Owner since June 2020: JSC Samara Heat and Power Property Fund (subsidiary of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz). Home port: unknown (encrypted).

I have only one question (more precisely two) - who is to blame for the failure of “Ak. Chersky ”, and who will be responsible for this failure? As it turned out, we were able to complete the SP-2 without it, mainly through the efforts of "Fortune". Why was such an expensive banquet necessary and what went wrong?

https://topcor-ru.translate.goog/20731-dostrojka-severnogo-potoka-2-kto-otvetit-za-fiasko-akademika-cherskogo.html?utm_source=finobzor.ru&_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB&_x_tr_pto=ajax,se,elem

kvs wrote:Maybe I should get a salary because at one time I was employed by someone.  That's all it takes, right?

In the context of the Ukraine, the correct analogy is that you should get a salary because at one time you were employed by someone while embezzling funds from them.  

franco wrote:NOTE: Interesting read explaining some of the technical challenges.

Completion of Nord Stream 2: who will be responsible for the Akademik Chersky fiasco

Latest news from the construction of SP-2: July 17, KMTUS "Akademik Chersky" returns to the "A" branch. This was reported by the German Federal Administration for Waterways and Shipping. Its task: by 15 August to lay 2.6 km of pipe in the exceptional German economic zone in shallow water in the area of ​​the Adlergrund bank (there the depth is not more than 22 m). "Akademik Chersky" will move towards TUB "Fortuna", which is laying its part of the route in the exclusive Danish economic zone at depths of 60 to 63 meters. At the moment, Fortuna has 59 km to go (in this figure, both the Danish and German sections of the pipe). The latter is 14.4 km, of which 2.6 km is shallow water; Chersky will not be able to pull further 2.6 km, because it is more convenient to dock the two parts of the gas pipeline at shallow depths.

What follows from this? Putin is in a hurry, the blood from his nose must have time to lay the pipe before September 26, before the day of elections to the Bundestag. Now the weather in the Baltic has deteriorated somewhat. And although the temperature is kept in the region of 20 дожд, but with rains and thunderstorms, the wind speed is from 9 to 12 m / s, with gusts up to 16 m / s. With this wind, the laying speed decreases. The fact is that when the wind increases over 10 m / s for Chersky and over 8 m / s for Fortuna, they have to drop the pipe so as not to lead to an accident. The Swiss "Pioneering Spirit" could operate at a wind speed of 6 m / s, without dropping the pipe at all and without reducing the laying speed (its maximum speed was 4.8 km / day). It should also be borne in mind that it takes 12 hours for Chersky to lift the pipe, and almost a day for Fortuna (from the moment the hook operation starts to the start of the laying movement). Moreover,the speed of laying is also significantly influenced by the height of the wave (sea agitation), I'm not talking about the depth and topography of the bottom, the direction of the wind, the course to the wave, the speed of the current, the density of the water and the presence of floating algae. This summer, the weather at the place of work did not work out. Locals will not remember such a frequency of storm winds on the Pomeranian seaside. If the weather conditions allowed, the “Akademik Chersky” according to its technical characteristics is capable of laying up to 3.15 km / day (with a wind speed of no more than 4 m / s), and “Fortuna” up to 1.21 km / day (with a wind no more than 3 m / s). As the wind speed increases, the paving speed naturally decreases.This summer, the weather at the place of work did not work out. Locals will not remember such a frequency of storm winds on the Pomeranian seaside. If the weather conditions allowed, the “Akademik Chersky” according to its technical characteristics is capable of laying up to 3.15 km / day (with a wind speed of no more than 4 m / s), and “Fortuna” up to 1.21 km / day (with a wind no more than 3 m / s). As the wind speed increases, the paving speed naturally decreases.This summer, the weather at the place of work did not work out. Locals will not remember such a frequency of storm winds on the Pomeranian seaside. If the weather conditions allowed, the “Akademik Chersky” according to its technical characteristics is capable of laying up to 3.15 km / day (with a wind speed of no more than 4 m / s), and “Fortuna” up to 1.21 km / day (with a wind no more than 3 m / s). As the wind speed increases, the paving speed naturally decreases.

But the trouble is that Akademik Chersky did not reach its design indicators, giving a maximum of 400 to 700 m / day, which is why it was replaced by Fortuna. Fortuna has been setting records for laying speed in recent days, reaching 1.3 km / day. The section in German territorial waters, which Akademik Chersky would pass instead of her in 2 days, while Chersky is given almost a month. You yourself understand that not from a good life - at “Ak. Chersky "are obvious problems, but Putin is in a hurry. Even two days count.

How we got to such a life. History of the issue

As of December 21, 2019, when the Swiss company Allseas with its famous pipe-laying vessels Pioneering Spirit, Solitaire and Audacia, due to US sanctions announced by Trump, suspended its participation in the project and withdrew its vessels from the Baltic sea, on both branches of the SP-2 she had to lay 148 km of pipes out of the planned 2,460 km. At the moment, out of the remaining 148 km, Fortuna's efforts have laid 63 km of the B branch, the remaining 85 km of the A branch was to be laid by Akademik Chersky. And on April 27, 2021, he started these works ("Fortuna" has been working there since December 2020). But for reasons beyond his control, "Chersky" failed. As a result, on the night of June 15, TUB "Fortuna" changed it to the "A" branch. At the time of replacement, he only had to stretch 68 km of pipe, i.e. in 49 days of work, he laid only 17 km.Crazy productivity - 350 m / day at a design paving speed of 3.15 km / day.

Considering the cost of KMTUS "Akademik Chersky", which exceeds 1 billion dollars, this is a fiasco. The conventional pipe-laying barge TUB "Fortuna" (although it is not ordinary at all!), Which, unlike the "academician", does not have a dynamic positioning system that allows keeping the vessel on course without using anchors, coped with the task cheaper, and most importantly, faster.

TUB "Fortuna"

What is Fortuna? It is an anchor barge with a 12-point positioning system for the construction of offshore subsea pipelines. Built at the Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. in Shanghai in 2010, modernized in 2011. Total displacement - 39,989 tons, dimensions - 169 meters in length and 46 in width, height - more than 13.5 m, draft - from 5 to 9 meters. Maximum pipe laying depth - 200 m. Crew - 310 people. The barge is equipped with a 12-anchor positioning system, with anchors weighing 20 tons. To supply electricity at Fortuna there are 4 diesel generators of 2500 kW each. The lifting equipment consists of a crawler crane with a lifting capacity of 250 tons and a standard ship crane on the left side of the vessel with a lifting capacity of 40 tons.

After the modernization carried out in 2012, a crane with a lifting capacity of 1600 tons (300 tons at an outreach of 72 m) was installed on the vessel. Also on the deck, it is possible to install a standard crane with a lifting capacity of up to 2.5-3 thousand tons. About the design speed of pipe laying at 1.21 km / day (with a wind of no more than 3 m / s), I have already said above. About the disadvantages in the form of the lack of a dynamic positioning system, too. Before the appearance of "Chersky" was the flagship of the Russian pipe-laying fleet. It seems that it remains so. Owner: KVT-Rus LLC, Moscow, although before the sanctions it was part of the MRTS fleet (Mezhregiontruboprovodstroy). Previously, the port of registration was Hong Kong, now it is Arkhangelsk.

KMTUS "Academician Chersky"

The main purpose of KMTUS "Akademik Chersky" is to lay pipelines with a diameter of Ø 6 - 60 inches (outer Ø, including coating). And his story is not at all ordinary, but as if written specifically for a cool spy series. The pipe-laying vessel Akademik Chersky (formerly Jascon 18) IMO: 8770261, was laid down in 2007 in China at the Jiangsu Hantong Ship Heavy Industry shipyard in Tongzhou by order of the Nigerian-Dutch company Sea Trucks Group Limited (STG). The project was developed by the Norwegian company Vik-Sandvik. The Jascon-18 is a multipurpose construction support vessel. In June 2011, Jascon-18 arrived at the Kwong-Soon shipyard in Singapore for completion. In December 2015, the vessel was purchased by the Singapore branch of the Russian company MRTS.To purchase the vessel, the company, under the guarantee of Gazprom, issued a loan from Gazprombank in the amount of USD 1 billion. In January 2016, the ship was arrested in Singapore on a lawsuit filed by a shipyard for not paying the full construction cost. After the dispute was resolved, in June 2016, the ship was transferred to the balance sheet of Gazprom Flot LLC, which renamed it to Akademik Chersky (in honor of Nikolai Chersky, Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences). Until August 2017, it was in the Indonesian port of Batam, then it was relocated to the Russian Federation (then the SP-2 was only at the stage of signing and the use of an "academician" in it was not planned). Initially, Gazprom-Flot intended to use KMTUS for the development of the Kirinskoye gas condensate field in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk as an auxiliary vessel,why it was modernized and retrofitted at the Nakhodka shipyard. All work was completed by May 31, 2019 and cost the customer 813.763 million rubles.

However, when the problem with the completion of SP-2 surfaced, it turned out that KMTUS “Ak. Chersky "is not suitable for solving such problems, since it does not have the necessary welding and installation equipment. And then, urgently at the end of December 2019, Gazprom Flot announces an open tender for the execution of works on retrofitting KMTUS with welding and technological equipment. The cost of the work was estimated at 873.5 million rubles. A tender was announced, the results of which were announced on January 30, 2020. It was won by several Western companies. Retrofitting a vessel under the sanctions is a non-trivial task, to put it mildly. Nevertheless, European manufacturers contrived to equip the "academician" with the latest technologyby supplying the vessel with equipment worth at least $ 10 million. The Italians and the Dutch distinguished themselves. Italian company Nuova Patavium supplied pipe edge processing machines and electro-hydraulic power units for them, another Italian company Opus SRL supplied pneumatic centralizer elements for automatic pipe welding, and Dutch Vermaat Technics BV equipped the vessel with an ultra-modern computerized external orbital welding system Veraweld Torch System D. The Kremlin has cleverly bypassed US sanctions through a system of padding firms and under-invoicing. As they say, every cunning Santa Claus always has his own Macaulay Culkin (those who watched "Home Alone", they will understand). The final modernization and retrofitting of "Chersky" took place in the German port of Mukran on the island of Rügen - the logistics base of the SP-2, where he arrived,having made an unprecedented three-month transoceanic passage from the port of Nakhodka across three oceans (Pacific, Indian and Atlantic) around Africa, accompanied by convoy warships, calling at all possible ports. Such a round-the-world odyssey also cost Gazprom a pretty penny. And all this just in order to then swallow dust from under the hooves of some "Fortune"?

Main characteristics:

Displacement (summer): 30146 t
Gross tonnage: 29513 t
Length: 150 m
Width: 36.8 m Depth
: 15.1 m
Draft: 6.8 m
Max. speed: 12 knots
Cruising range: 18 720 miles
Dynamic positioning system: DP3
Anchor positioning system: 8 anchor
Cranes: main - SWL 1200 t (33 m) + SWL 600 t (29 m) = SWL 1800 t (27 m) , auxiliary - 2 x SWL 40 t (40 m)
Crew: 379 people.

The ship is equipped with a dynamic positioning system (DP3), which controls the course and position of the vessel, activating the motors based on information from the gyrocompass, wind sensor, and target position. This eliminates the need for anchor positioning system. But at the request of Germany, for work in shallow water during the modernization, the vessel was additionally equipped with an 8-anchor positioning anchor system.

Owner since June 2020: JSC Samara Heat and Power Property Fund (subsidiary of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz). Home port: unknown (encrypted).

I have only one question (more precisely two) - who is to blame for the failure of “Ak. Chersky ”, and who will be responsible for this failure? As it turned out, we were able to complete the SP-2 without it, mainly through the efforts of "Fortune". Why was such an expensive banquet necessary and what went wrong?

https://topcor-ru.translate.goog/20731-dostrojka-severnogo-potoka-2-kto-otvetit-za-fiasko-akademika-cherskogo.html?utm_source=finobzor.ru&_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB&_x_tr_pto=ajax,se,elem

How did they not know that the cherskiy lacks the "necessary welding equipment"?

The author sounds as if he has to pay the expenses from his own pocket.