Gazprom drops Yamal-Europe II expansion

Gazprom has resigned from the construction of the Yamal-Europe II pipeline, instead deciding on the construction of another line for Nord Stream. The announcement was made by the Vedomosti newspaper, Thursday, which cites a source in Gazprom. According to the source, the decision to drop the new Yamal line comes as Poland – through which the pipeline runs – did not support the idea to expand its transfer capacity. Gazprom is also mulling a third pipeline for its Nord Stream project, which would run to the UK. Vedomosti also writes that when the Kremlin announced plans to expand the Yamal-Europe pipeline, it caused a poltical scandal in Poland. /jb