The infrastructure isn't free. The gas flowing through it also isn't free.
Years and billions were invested in that infrastructure.
IMO, the sheer cost would make that an overly-elaborate spectacle.
Re:Gas Leak in the Baltic Sea
by hackerlight on Wednesday September 28, 2022 @12:41PM
(#33010043)
That's literally the sunk cost fallacy.
It's an intelligent leveraging of a sunk cost when most don't realize it's a sunk cost or don't understand the concept of sunk costs.