Czech gas storage filling despite Nord Stream outage, minister says

A worker checks pipelines at the gas cavern storage in Haje
A worker checks pipelines at the gas cavern storage in Haje, near the village of Jesenice in central Bohemia September 9, 2014. REUTERS/David W Cerny/File Photo

PRAGUE, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Czech gas storage has continued to be filled since Russia shut its Nord Stream 1 pipeline, Industry Minister Jozef Sikela said on Thursday, adding that storage had reached 85% of capacity.

Europe's energy crisis grew more acute this week after Russia halted gas supplied via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, while President Vladimir Putin threatened to cut all supplies if Europe imposed a price cap on Russian oil and gas. read more

"Putin pretends Europe will not be able to survive the coming winter without Russian gas, that isn't true," Sikela said in a Twitter post, adding that supplies from Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands were helping fill storage.

The Czech Republic has also secured 3 billion cubic metres of annual gas capacity - about a third of annual consumption - through an LNG terminal in the Netherlands that is due to open on Monday. read more

Reporting by Jason Hovet; Editing by Jason Neely and Edmund Blair

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Read Next