GEORGIA: ATTEMPTS TO REPRESSURIZE GAS PIPELINE TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L TBILISI 000018 E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2019 TAGS: ECON ENRG PGOV PREL RU GG SUBJECT: GEORGIA: ATTEMPTS TO REPRESSURIZE GAS PIPELINE TO TSKHINVALI UNSUCCESSFUL, WAR DAMAGE LIKELY REF: A) 08 TBILISI 2426 B) 08 TBILISI 2492 C) OLSON 12/31/08 E-MAILS Classified By: Ambassador John F. Tefft for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Despite continued lack of access to sections of the natural gas pipeline running from Agara to Tskhinvali and on to Java, on December 31 the Georgian Oil and Gas Company (GOGC) pressurized the line to determine if gas could be restored to Tskhinvali. Unfortunately, during the repressurization, it became clear that the line was seriously damaged and could not even maintain one bar pressure. As a result of serious gas leakage, GOGC shut down the pipeline at 1930 local time on December 31. Despite reports in ITAR-TASS giving the impression that Georgia will soon restore gas to Tskhinvali, Deputy Minister of Energy Marika Valishvili and GOGC Director Zurab Janjgava both repeated that significant damage to the pipeline has rendered it nearly inoperable. Without the ability to inspect and repair the section of the pipeline that runs through South Ossetia, GOGC is unable to restart the gas flow. Until the separatist government provides access and security guarantees, gas will not flow to South Ossetia (ref A). The solution to this problem is further complicated by the December 31 expiration of the OSCE Mission in Tbilisi,s mandate (ref B). End Summary. ¶2. (C) Comment: While it is easy for the South Ossetians and Russians to complain that Georgia is causing a humanitarian crisis inside South Ossetia by depriving the area of gas, it appears much more difficult for them to grant the necessary access to repair the line. In addition, while former de facto prime minister of South Ossetia and current "Chief Negotiator for South Ossetia" Chochiev criticized the OSCE for bureaucratic delays, he did not, or could not, offer the security guarantees required to inspect and repair the pipeline. Until monitors can be granted access to inspect the line, it is impossible to gauge the full damage to the pipeline and the security situation surrounding it. No one can speak to the amount of unexploded ordnance that might need to be removed to even start repairs on the line. From post's understanding, there have been no efforts to clear the line of munitions. Recent untrue statements in the Russian press hinting that Georgia has repaired the line are likely laying the groundwork for future Russian criticism of Georgia when gas is not restored. ¶3. (C) Comment con't: Progress in repairing the line is further complicated by the January 1 expiration of the OSCE Mission's mandate due to Russian actions in Vienna. What, if any, role the OSCE can now play in this process is unclear. It is significant that the OSCE was able to coordinate between the South Ossetians and Georgians in order to test the line. However, Chochiev,s criticism of the OSCE's bureaucracy will undoubtedly surface in future discussions of what role, if any, the organization can play in the disputed territories. While the Georgians have attempted to be cooperative to resolve a potential humanitarian crisis, however, without movement by the Russians/South Ossetians no progress can be made. n addition, the Georgians remain concerned over access to potable water for Georgian villages in the territories in the summer. End Comment. CHOCHIYEV ASKS FOR GAS, BUT DOESN,T PROMISE SECURITY ¶4. (SBU) On December 27, the OSCE Mission to Georgia received an unsigned e-mail from Boris Chochiev reiterating a proposal from the December Geneva discussions to restart gas Qproposal from the December Geneva discussions to restart gas to South Ossetia. While he requested that the OSCE, together with Itera and the relevant Georgian authorities restart the gas, he did not provide the necessary security guarantees nor access required to fix the line. In the letter, Chochiev only said the de facto authorities were ready to discuss, if necessary, measures to ensure security. On December 30, Chochiev expressed his disappointment with the &slow and bureaucratic8 procedures of the OSCE in restarting the gas. He, however, ignored the South Ossetians role in restricting access and their inability to provide the necessary security to do the required manual check of the line. REMEMBER POTABLE WATER ¶5. (SBU) The OSCE shared Chochiev's letter with Deputy Foreign Minister, and Georgian representative to the Geneva talks, Giga Bokeria on December 30. Bokeria stressed that they see providing gas to Tskhinvali as a humanitarian issue, and that Georgia will not provide gas to Russian forces in South Ossetia. He also added that the Georgian Government sees the provision of gas interlinked with the provision of potable water to Georgian villages north of Tskhinvali. Bokeria told the OSCE that the Georgians want public assurances that there will be no cut in the supply of water to Georgian villages in 2009. LOW PRESSURE = PIPELINE DAMAGE ¶6. (C) Despite a lack of access, GOGC Director Janjgava agreed to try to repressurize the line on December 31. If the pressure remained stable between Georgian-controlled territory and Tskhinvali, the pipeline would be operational. Janjgava reported, however, that while the reading in Georgian-controlled territory was ten bar, in Tskhinvali it could not even reach one. Given the significant loss of gas and safety concerns due to serious gas leakage, GOGC shut the line at 1930 local time on December 31. On January 6, GOGC Director Janjgava stressed to Poloff that without a manual review of the length of the pipeline, it would be impossible to locate and repair damage to the line. Deputy Minister of Energy Valishvili reiterated Janjgava's statement in a separate conversation. She noted that GOGC had repaired five different sections of the pipeline damaged during the conflict, but have yet to be given access to the section of the line inside South Ossetia. TEFFT