Early reports were that the damaged pipelines couldn't be fixed because of saltwater corroding the pipeline interiors. According to a report today from RT (below), it seems that if Russian pipeline engineers can work unimpeded, they can bring about a minor miracle because the saltwater has yet to corrode the pipes.
The problem is that it wasn't safe until today to get near those pipelines and now they are now a crime scene. That, added to what will certainly be tremendous pressure from the USA to block repairs, may put the miracle out of reach. But as an unusually cold winter is now predicted for Europe, I can only hope that repair work on the pipelines will quickly proceed.
As to whether the German government is willing to open Nord Stream 2 -- just days prior to the attack on the pipelines there were increasingly large demonstrations in Germany to do just that. If the German public thinks there is a chance to get the pipelines restored, it's likely the demonstrations will build to a crescendo.
The really bad news is that restoring the pipelines will be very costly; all parties would have set aside the legal wrangling about who pays the bill.
More bad news is that at least as of today, it seems the Russian government is demanding to know who attacked the pipelines before proceeding to repair them. I think that's a mistake; I think the priority should be on repairing the pipelines. And I think Russian engineers and German ones should work together at repairing the pipelines.
In any case a lot of "ifs" but still a fighting chance.
Nord Stream pipelines can be restored – Moscow — RT Business News - 2 Oct, 2022 14:15Russia may be able to fix the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which were damaged earlier this week, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak said on Sunday.
“There are technical possibilities to restore the infrastructure, it requires time and appropriate funds. I am sure that appropriate opportunities will be found,” Novak told Russia 1 TV.
According to the official, however, the first step should be to determine who is behind the incident.
“As of today, we proceed from the fact that it is necessary, first of all, to figure out who did it, and we are sure that certain countries, which had expressed their positions before, were interested in it. Both the US and Ukraine, as well as Poland at one time said that this infrastructure is not going to work, that they will do everything to make sure of it, so, of course, it is necessary to seriously look into it,” Novak stated.
Citing German security services, Der Tagesspiegel newspaper earlier reported that the damaged routes could be permanently out of use if they are not repaired quickly, as salt water could cause corrosion.
The Danish authorities reported leaks on both the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines on Monday after a local pipeline operator noted a loss of pressure following a series of undersea explosions in the area. The Danish Energy Agency reported earlier on Sunday that the pressure on the Nord Stream 1 is stable and the gas leakage is over, while on Saturday, it said the Nord Stream 2 also stopped leaking gas.
The incident is widely considered to be the result of sabotage. Russia has called it a terrorist attack. While those behind it have not yet been identified, Moscow has blamed the US [and Britain, if I recall, from reading Putin's speech].
[END REPORT]
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