After the sabotage of the two Nord Stream gas pipelines, the question is not only who is responsible, but whether they can ever be put back into operation. The three explosions first created three leaks and a fourth has just been detected at distances of two to four kilometers.
These explosions damaged part of the two pipelines which are still at risk of further damage. According to the German newspaper Tagesspiegel, Berlin believes that Nord Stream 1 has already been permanently lost. For 2, the question remains unanswered, but experts are pessimistic if repairs are not made as soon as possible. Specialists believe that this is already an impossible mission.
Corrosion is already eating away at the tubes.
The violence of the explosions opened these conduits to a significant length given the extent of bubbling on the surface (about a kilometer) and the size of the bubbles. They are now full of seawater that risks eating away at the inside of the pipes. Because if the exterior is protected against corrosion, the metal interior is not designed for this type of situation.
With a length of more than 1,200 kilometers each, these gas pipelines are made up of 12.2-meter carbon steel tubes with a diameter of 1,153 mm welded together. As they are not stainless, they are covered with an outer polyethylene protection to protect them from corrosion.
First, a diagnosis of the situation will have to be made, a delicate operation that is based on sending an underwater drone equipped with a camera to determine the extent of the damage at a depth of about 80 meters. Danish Defense Minister Morten Bødskov has already warned that this cannot happen until the gas is completely evacuated from the pipes. According to Copenhagen, the leaks should last “a week or two”, and their power would destroy any chance of plugging them.
An unprecedented technological feat
Ludovic Leroy, an IFP Training engineer and pipeline specialist, is also almost certain that the two pipelines are beyond repair. And even then, the cost of repairs will be dissuasive.
This specialist even believes that the repair would be an unprecedented technological feat, but it would also require an investment comparable to its construction, which cost 8,000 million euros.
It is hard to imagine that the Nord Stream consortium would choose to repair or install a new gas pipeline. In addition to the cost and technical complexity, the geopolitical context is not conducive to relaunching a project with Russia knowing that Nord Stream 1 and 2 have already been disputed by several European countries.
Source: BFM TV
