Great Britain is set to receive first Russian gas transported by Nord Stream pipeline in 2012 – the country has already applied for piping 4 billion cubic metres of gas per year, reports Ria Novosti with a reference to Matthias Warig, the managing director of Nord Stream AG.
      
      “The UK is switching from a gas exporter to an importer.” he said “by 2025 there will be a substantial import needed... Several billion cubic metres per year are already contracted for the UK through Nord Stream.”
      
      4 billion m3 booked by the UK amount to 4% of general demand in gas, which is 94 billion m3 a year.
      Nord Stream will link Russia's Baltic coast near Vyborg with Germany's Baltic coast in the vicinity of Greifswald. The pipeline length will average 1,200 km. 
      
      Nord Stream AG shareholdings are now split in the following way: Gazprom — 51 per cent, Wintershall Holding and E. ON AG — 20 per cent each, N. V. Nederlandse Gasunie — 9 per cent.
      
      source:
      www.newsru.com
      www.timesonline.com