Extended Outage: Norway's Gas Export Delays Shake Europe

A repair-associated outage of Norway's gas exports via the Langeled pipeline to Britain has been extended until June 7, driving up gas prices in Europe and the US. Norway, now Europe's top gas supplier post-Russian invasion of Ukraine, faces uncertainty in the overall outage duration.

The outage of Norway's gas exports to Britain via the Langeled pipeline was extended by two days until the morning of June 7 as repair work continued, Norwegian system operator Gassco said on Tuesday.

The outage, which Gassco attributed to a crack in a two-inch pipeline onboard Equinor's offshore Sleipner Riser platform, on Monday drove up gas prices in Europe, the United States and beyond. The overall duration of the outage, which began late on Sunday, remains uncertain, according to a message posted on Gassco's transparency website.

Norway in 2022 overtook Russia as Europe's biggest gas supplier after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, making any outages at Norwegian fields a possible trigger for higher prices. Sleipner Riser is a connection point for the Langeled North and Langeled South pipelines connecting the Nyhamna plant on Norway's west coast with the Easington terminal in northeast England.