Wintershall: Europe has no better alternative than Russian gas

MOSCOW, Apr 7 (PRIME) -- There is no better alternative for Europe than Russian gas, German oil and gas producer Wintershall CEO Mario Mehren said in an interview with the Handelsblatt newspaper released Friday.

“Europe certainly needs additional imports of gas. Finally, production in the North Sea is decreasing. Europeans should be open to all sources that can be used. This is gas which comes through a pipeline from Russia, Norway, and even North Africa, this is also transoceanic liquefied gas,” he said.

“I’m convinced that there is no better alternative than Russian gas. Natural gas from Russia can withstand any competition,” he said.

Mehren also said that Poland did not manage to hamper the implementation of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline project.

“First of all, we and other Western partners are working on finding another way to support the project financially. Secondly, the operator company is implementing the project step by step. An order for pipes was placed, capacities for laying are ensured. The only thing that Poland achieved is that the European project transformed into a project with only one Russian partner,” Mehren said.

The Nord Stream-2 project envisages construction of two lines of a natural gas pipeline with an annual capacity of up to 55 billion cubic meters, running from the Russian shore to Germany under the Baltic Sea. Gazprom plans to implement the project together with Germany’s E.ON and BASF, Royal Dutch Shell, Austria’s OMV, and France’s Engie.

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