Nord Stream gas pipeline to be fully stopped for new maintenance from Aug 31 to Sept 2

MOSCOW. Aug 19 (Interfax) - The sole Trent 60 operating gas compressor unit of the starting compressor station of the Nord Stream pipeline will be shut down from August 31 to September 2 for three days for servicing and preventive maintenance, Gazprom said in a statement.

Once the work is completed and there are no technical problems with the unit, gas transport will be restored to 33 million cubic meters per day, the Russian gas giant said.

"The series of routine maintenance works according to the current maintenance contract will be carried out jointly with specialists from Siemens," the Russian company said.

"In accordance with Siemens technical documentation, technical maintenance of the unit must be carried out every 1,000 hours, which includes: inspection of the housing for cracks, potholes, deformations, burn marks, cleaning of the housing; inspection of the oil supply, air, combustion product outlet for leaks, retightening of connections and fixing causes of leaks; checking the performance of safety valves and setting the air flow control system," the statement also reads.

The spot price in Europe rose above $2,700 on the news, the nearest September TTF ICE Futures contract reaching $2,712 per thousand cubic meters.