MOSCOW, October 3. /TASS/. Gazprom reported a stabilization of pressure in Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines and the stoppage of gas leaks at the damaged spots.
"The pressure in line A of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and both lines of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline have stabilized after the breaches, gas leaks have stopped," the holding said.
Gazprom is now pumping gas out of the intact Nord Stream 2 line to inspect the line’s integrity. The holding is ready to pump gas into the gas pipeline once it is decided to start deliveries via Nord Stream 2.
"Gazprom is working to depressurize line B of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. To do this, the company is pumping out the natural gas in the pipe. This will make it possible to safely inspect the integrity of string B, as well as to reduce potential environmental risks in case of possible gas leaks. If a decision is made to start deliveries via Nord Stream 2 Line B, natural gas will be pumped into the gas pipeline, after checking the integrity of the system and confirming this possibility by supervisory authorities," the company explained.
Four leaks were discovered last week on the Nord Stream gas link, with the most recent one pinpointed by Sweden’s coast guard. Earlier, the Nord Stream AG company reported that three threads of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 offshore gas pipelines had suffered unprecedented damage on September 26. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow was "deeply concerned about the news" and did not rule out that the pipelines’ operation could have been disrupted by an act of sabotage. Swedish seismologists later revealed that two explosions had been recorded along the Nord Stream pipelines on September 26. The Danish Energy Agency reported that a large amount of gas had spilled into the sea.