BBC: Russian Gazprom earned €45 million last year from North Sea production

Russian gas giant Gazprom earned €45 million (more than a billion Czech crowns) last year from production at the Sillimanite gas field, located in British and Dutch waters in the North Sea. This is according to financial records cited by the BBC. Ed Davey, leader of the UK opposition Liberal Democrats, said it was completely unacceptable for gas from British territory to support Russian President Vladimir Putin’s illegal military campaign against Ukraine. The British government said it would step up economic pressure on Russia.

Gazprom has been producing gas at the Sillimanite field since 2020. It operates the field as part of a joint venture with German company Wintershall, and the gas produced is brought ashore in the Netherlands. The BBC said there was no indication that this business arrangement was illegal, although the UK, the European Union and the United States have already imposed a range of economic sanctions aimed at limiting Russia’s ability to finance the war in Ukraine.

The non-profit organisation Global Witness called Gazprom’s production in the North Sea “an indictment of Britain’s approach to Russian oil and gas”. The organisation said it was absurd that Gazprom was allowed to use North Sea production to financially support Putin’s regime, while the British government condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.