Russian gas cuts: after Uniper, RWE wants to make Gazprom pay

RWE has filed an arbitration case against Gazprom to be compensated for cuts in Russian gas deliveries to Germany.

Share:

Subscribe for unlimited access to all energy sector news.

Over 150 multisector articles and analyses every week.

Your 1st year at 99 €*

then 199 €/year

*renews at 199€/year, cancel anytime before renewal.

German energy company RWE has filed an arbitration case against Gazprom to be compensated for cuts in Russian gas supplies to Germany, a spokeswoman said Tuesday, days after a similar announcement by Uniper Group.

“We have taken the necessary legal steps,” a spokeswoman said in a statement sent to AFP, without giving further details on the amounts requested.

An arbitration tribunal has been set up, she said.

The group had signed a contract with Russia’s Gazprom for the delivery of 15 terawatt hours of gas in 2022.

Some of these contracts have not been honored, due to the reduction since June, then the total end since September, of Russian gas deliveries via the Nord Stream pipeline, against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.

In order to supply its customers, the German company had to buy on the short-term spot markets, where prices exploded during the summer.

However, RWE’s situation is better than that of the Uniper Group, Germany’s largest importer, which used to buy almost 200 terawatt hours of Russian gas annually.

Uniper, nationalized by the German state, announced last Wednesday that it was taking Gazprom to an arbitration tribunal.

The group is demanding at least 11.6 billion euros in compensation from the Russian giant.

Gazprom invoked this summer a case of “force majeure” to justify the cessation of its deliveries, without giving further details.

Invoking “force majeure” allows a company to be released from its contractual obligations by exonerating it from any legal liability.

The event mentioned must be particularly unforeseeable, independent of the company’s will and preventing it from fulfilling its obligations.

Uniper and RWE have denied this claim since the beginning of the crisis.

In late September, explosions off the coast of Denmark and Sweden destroyed entire sections of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, making delivery effectively impossible.

The hypothesis of sabotage is favored by the Danish, German and Swedish judicial authorities, who have launched an investigation.

Russia denies being at the origin of this incident.

Private firm Harvest Midstream has signed a $1 billion acquisition deal with MPLX for gas processing and transport infrastructure across three western US states.
Sempra Infrastructure and EQT Corporation have signed a 20-year liquefied natural gas purchase agreement, consolidating Phase 2 of the Port Arthur LNG project in Texas and strengthening the United States’ position in the global LNG market.
Subsea7 was selected to lead phase 3 of the Sakarya gas field, a strategic contract for Türkiye’s energy supply valued between $750mn and $1.25bn.
Tokyo protests against Chinese installations deemed unilateral in a disputed maritime zone, despite a bilateral agreement stalled since 2010.
Bp has awarded Baker Hughes a long-term service agreement for the Tangguh liquefied natural gas plant, covering spare parts, maintenance and technical support for its turbomachinery equipment.
Chinese group Sinopec has launched a large-scale seismic imaging campaign across 3,000 km² in Mexico using nodal technology from Sercel, owned by Viridien, delivered in August to map areas with complex terrain.
CNOOC Limited has signed two production sharing contracts with SKK Migas to explore the Gaea and Gaea II blocks in West Papua, alongside EnQuest and Agra.
Australian group Macquarie partners with AMIGO LNG for an annual supply of 0.6 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas over fifteen years, with operations expected to start in 2028 from the Guaymas terminal in Mexico.
A consortium led by ONEOK is developing a 450-mile pipeline to transport up to 2.5 billion cubic feet of gas per day from the Permian Basin to the Gulf Coast.
AMIGO LNG has awarded Drydocks World a major EPC contract to build the world’s largest floating LNG liquefaction terminal, aimed at strengthening exports to Asia and Latin America.
Nigeria LNG signs major deals with oil groups to ensure gas supply to its liquefaction infrastructure over two decades.
The European Union and Washington have finalized an agreement setting $750 billion in U.S. gas, oil and nuclear purchases, complemented by $600 billion in European investments in the United States by 2028.
Sempra Infrastructure and ConocoPhillips signed a 20-year LNG sales agreement for 4 Mtpa, confirming their joint commitment to expanding the Port Arthur LNG liquefaction terminal in Texas.
Russian pipeline gas exports to China rose by 21.3% over seven months, contrasting with a 7.6% drop in oil shipments during the same period.
MCF Energy continues operations at the Kinsau-1A drilling site, targeting a promising Jurassic formation first tested by Mobil in 1983.
The group announces an interim dividend of 53 cps, production of 548 Mboe/d, a unit cost of $7.7/boe and major milestones on Scarborough, Trion, Beaumont and Louisiana LNG, while strengthening liquidity and financial discipline.
Norway’s combined oil and gas production exceeded official forecasts by 3.9% in July, according to preliminary data from the regulator.
Gunvor commits to 0.85 million tonnes per year of liquefied natural gas from AMIGO LNG, marking a strategic step forward for Asian and Latin American supply via the Guaymas terminal.
Black Hills Corp. and NorthWestern Energy merge to create a $15.4 billion regulated energy group, operating in eight states with 2.1 million customers and a doubled rate base.
The Pimienta and Eagle Ford formations are identified as pillars of Pemex’s 2025-2035 strategic plan, with potential of more than 250,000 barrels of liquids per day and 500 million cubic feet of gas by 2030.

Log in to read this article

You'll also have access to a selection of our best content.

or

Go unlimited with our annual offer: €99 for the 1styear year, then € 199/year.