MOSCOW, May 25 (UPI) -- Russian energy company Gazprom said its infrastructure has proven capable of supplying the maximum amount of natural gas through the Nord Stream pipeline.
Gazprom this week said it pushed 2.6 million cubic feet of natural gas per day through the first leg of the twin pipeline system as part of a load test to ensure the system meets industry-wide standards.
Nord Stream is part of a network of pipelines planned to diversify Russian natural gas exports to European consumers. The first leg of the pipeline system went into service last year. Completion of the second line is expected by June.
"The tests have shown that all systems are up and running," Gazprom's top executive Alexei Miller said in a statement. "The offshore gas pipeline and the onshore infrastructure of the Unified Gas Supply System of Russia are ready to supply our European consumers with the maximum gas amounts via Nord Stream during the upcoming autumn-winter period."
Gazprom said the testing would continue for the next three weeks.
Both lines, once fully operational, will transport about 1.9 trillion cubic feet of Russian gas each year to European consumers for at least 50 years.
