European manufacturers that depend on Russian natural gas are growing more concerned about their supplies, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Companies that have been seeking alternative energy sources now fear that Russia may prolong the closure for maintenance of the critical Nord Stream pipeline that ferries gas from Siberia to Germany. There are insufficient supplies of goods like oil and coal, and a prolonged disruption would reverberate across the continent.

A gas cutoff would disrupt European supply chains, particularly in the petrochemical sector. The production of steel, copper and ceramics would also be severely affected since Germany says it will prioritize gas usage for households and institutions such as hospitals. 

Russia’s energy giant Gazprom sent an ominous signal this week when it invoked force majeure for its failure to deliver contractually agreed gas shipments in recent weeks.