Okay. Time out. Where are the scientists? The only way 21 million cubic metres of technical gas per day is needed is if the pipeline is used wrong.

This isn't rocket science and the agreement cannot be that complicated. I have to agree with President Medvedev in that inconsistency only breeds problems and escalates tensions internatinoally.

(click title to entry) ..."Such conditions make a mockery of common sense and are a violation of agreements we reached earlier," President Dmitry Medvedev said. "Such actions are meant to thwart the agreement to monitor the gas transits - they are blatantly provocative and destructive."...

This should not be that difficult to deal with unless there are inconsistencies in the use of the pipeline and its ability to maintain a constant pressure thoughout its length. The principles of gas pressure does not allow for such high fluctuations in the amounts of gas needed to maintain pressure. Ideally, once the pipeline is primed and operating a steady delivery of purchased product should be easily monitored throughout the pipeline. If the pipeline is in disrepair it may need state of the art reconstruction that will computerize the flow and detect falls in pressure that would dictate leaks or misuse, however, when dealing with 'gas' I would hope there would be little to no disrepair to speak of.

The scientists of all countries involved should be able to determine the amount of 'mechanical gas' needed to provide UNINTERRUPTED service to any of the consumers of Russia's GASPROM. This isn't that difficult to manage. It just isn't. 21 million cubic meters is a lot of gas to be consumed as 'technical gas' on a daily basis. It must be a highly inefficient gas pipeline to demand that type of 'priming' on a daily basis. The problem is probably that there are different flow rates throughout the system and the volume in some areas of the pipeline falls when more gas is used than is delivered, hence, requiring more 'priming.' That isn't 'technical gas' that is using volumes of gas that would normally be technical gas as an end product to the consumer. There has to be an understanding that the pipeline only requires a 'specific' amount to prime its delivery to maintain pressure and any more than that is considered delivered product. It seems there are inconsistencies that need to addressed.

WRAPUP 1-Russia-Ukraine deal on gas for Europe hits trouble (click here)
Sun Jan 11, 2009 9:44pm GMT

...The declaration, a copy of which has also been seen by Reuters, stated that Ukraine had not siphoned off any transit gas and that it had no outstanding debts to Russian export monopoly Gazprom -- a central bone of contention between the two countries.
It said Russia must supply volumes of "technical" gas, at no cost, to Ukraine to maintain pressure in the pipeline system -- a demand Gazprom described as "an attempt to legalise the theft of gas".
Gazprom said Ukraine was demanding 21 million cubic metres of technical gas per day -- enough to meet the daily needs of a country like Austria.
"Ukraine has again taken a destructive position," a Gazprom statement said....