Dividend investors like pipelines in general, because once a pipeline is in place, there is very little competition and the pipeline companies will use their influence with the regulators to ensure a competing pipelines are not built. All the reasons that were put forth by the opposition to the pipeline will be enhanced with a second pipeline,

In Europe, most of Europe receives its gas from Russia which is both good and bad. It is good because Russia is next door, it is bad because Russia has used its clout of being the provider of gas to influence government direction to what it considers helpful to it.

In an article by David McHugh and Vladimir Isachenkov of the Associated Press, Russia and Germany want the pipeline, but Ukraine, Poland and the US have not signed off. The US has not signed off because Russia has about 100,000 troops on the border with Ukraine doing training.

German spokesperson Wolfgang Buechner said Nord Stream 2 is an undertaking of a private business that is largely complete and that regulatory approval has no political dimension.

The pipeline would double the amount of gas Gazprom sends to Germany. The pipeline would go under the Baltic Sea and help bypass Poland and Ukraine which would save fees. Gazprom says the pipeline would add to the long term reliable supply and be affordable.

The regulators in Germany says they can only regulate a company based in Germany which means Gazprom is forming a company. At the present time Nord Stream 2 is based in Switzerland.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, once the pipeline is in place, investors like pipelines because they have a semi-monopoly and regulators tend to raise prices every year. This means the company will have guaranteed revenues the ability to make a profit and pay dividends. Similar to pipelines around the world, the gaining of political approval is the hard part, the easier part is the building and operation of the pipeline.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions.