Russian energy giant Gazprom plans to expand its Nord Stream gas pipeline running beneath the Baltic Sea into Germany, the company announced on Thursday, according to dpa. The two proposed new pipelines, which mark part of an effort by Gazprom to deliver gas to Europe by circumventing Ukraine, will be constructed in cooperation with major European companies E.ON, OMV and Anglo-Dutch Shell. The key players in the deal, which would see an additional 55 billion cubic metres of gas delivered to the European Union annually, signed a memorandum Thursday at the international economic forum currently taking place in St Petersburg.
