The head of the Austrian oil and gas company OMV, Ryan Seele, said that Russia will be able to complete the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. He noted that laying pipes at a shallow depth does not require sophisticated technology, only a suitable vessel is needed.

“As I understand it, they are looking for a ship, and I bet they will find it.” I don’t know how much time they will need and how they are going to continue laying the pipeline, ”Seele told Bloomberg in an interview.

Director of the Institute of National Energy Sergei Pravosudov in a conversation with RT expressed the opinion that the project could be completed before the end of this year.

“It is obvious that when the gas pipeline is 90% built, no one will abandon it. One way or another, they will find the opportunity to complete it. When there was such a small section, 100 km with a small one, it was hardly advisable to conduct a tender and somehow delay this process. We’ll finish it on our own, with the help of two vessels - the Academician Chersky and the barge Fortuna - they will complete this small section, ”the expert noted.

The fact that the gas pipeline will be completed, despite the resistance of the United States, said earlier Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak. He recalled that Nord Stream 2 is the most transparent, predictable and profitable project for both Russia and European consumers.

“And contrary to the unprecedented resistance of a number of countries, primarily the USA, the gas pipeline will be completed,” Novak emphasized.

The Minister also called the ship "Academic Chersky" one of the options for completing construction, specifying that "it will take some time for further training."

  • Crane-mounting pipe-laying vessel "Academic Chersky"
  • © gazprom.ru

Recall that Nord Stream 2 represents two strands of a gas pipeline with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year from the Russian coast in the Baltic Sea to Germany. The construction of the gas pipeline is opposed by Ukraine, fearing a loss of revenue from transit of Russian gas, several European countries, including Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, as well as the United States, which are promoting their liquefied natural gas in the EU. Those who stop building the country argue that the project poses a threat to Europe’s energy security.

In turn, Russia has repeatedly stated that Nord Stream 2 is an exclusively commercial and not a political project and does not imply a suspension of Russian gas transit to the EU through Ukraine. In particular, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin previously again stressed that it is time for Western states to abandon sanctions, since nothing threatens Moscow and Kiev’s gas transit arrangements.

At the end of December, US President Donald Trump approved the country's defense budget for the new fiscal year. The document presupposes sanctions against the Russian pipelines “Nord Stream - 2” and “Turkish Stream”. In particular, we are talking about the introduction of restrictive measures in relation to vessels that lay pipes at a depth of more than 100 feet (30 meters), as well as companies that sell or rent such vessels.

After that, the Swiss company Allseas, which conducted the laying of the Nord Stream 2 pipes, curtailed work, saying later that it would not return to participate in the construction of this highway.

Deputy Director General of the Institute of National Energy Alexander Frolov in a conversation with RT also noted that the project will be completed.

"Optimism Ryan Seele is largely symbolic because it shows the position of European businesses in relation to" Nord Stream -. 2 " This is a necessary project and it will be completed. No one gave up, no one gave up, and everyone is trying to kill the negative that is being carefully formed around a project in the same Europe. As for the project itself, at the moment we have specific US sanctions for ships and companies that will either participate in the laying of the pipeline or lease the ships for laying, ”he explained.

The expert recalled that Gazprom has two pipe-laying vessels, and work on the most difficult sections has been completed.

“In these specific conditions currently available, there should not be global difficulties. In addition, we do not see any legislative activity on the part of the United States that could threaten the implementation of the project. There are statements about sanctions, but such an initiative is, in my opinion, unrealizable. It sounds exclusively like a threat. It is unlikely that anyone will dare to draft this draft law. Just because it will be an open blow to European business, ”concluded Frolov.