Latest Articles about Energy
Ukrainian Government Fears a New Winter Gas Crisis
In December Ukrainian officials descended on Washington with one overriding mission –to convince the Obama administration that without the financial help of the IMF, Ukraine might be unable to supply the EU with Russian gas this winter. This badly disguised attempt at blackmail on the... MORE
Russia Resuming Gas Imports From Turkmenistan on a Small Scale
On December 22 in Ashgabat, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his counterpart in Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov witnessed the signing of documents on the bilateral gas trade and transportation. The documents mark the end of Russia’s punitive, nine-month halt of gas imports from Turkmenistan. The halt... MORE
Moscow Targeting Adriatic Energy Transportation Lifeline to Central Europe
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin received Croatia’s outgoing president, Stjepan Mesic, in Moscow for a valedictory visit on December 13-14 (Interfax, December 14). The discussions focused on energy issues, reflecting Moscow’s preparations for a breakthrough into the Croatian oil and gas... MORE
Strategic Implications of the Central Asia-China Gas Pipeline
The breakthrough on the Central Asia-China gas pipeline (EDM, December 15), as part of Turkmenistan’s policy of gas export diversification, undermines Russia’s position not only in the European gas trade (EDM, December 16), but also on two Asian fronts. These are the negotiations on future... MORE
Strategic Implications of the Central Asia-China Gas Pipeline
The opening of the Central Asia-China gas pipeline on December 14 (EDM, December 15) is fraught with momentous implications in Eurasia, Europe, and potentially on a global level. Russia’s near-monopsony on Turkmen gas has finally been broken. With Russia’s own gas production stagnant, loss of... MORE
Russia Struggles to Revive Energy Ties With Turkmenistan
Russian officials insist that the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline project is not a matter of Moscow’s concern. However, Moscow has been struggling to sustain its earlier gas agreements with Ashgabat. The Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline project would not adversely affect Russia’s energy cooperation with China, including plans... MORE
Three Central Asian Countries Inaugurate Gas Export Pipeline to China
With Europe and the United States outside looking in (or away), Turkmenistan opened a gas floodgate to China on December 14. Presidents Hu Jintao of China, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan, Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, and Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan led the valve-opening ceremony at Samandepe... MORE
Russian Gas and Oil Projects on Hold in Bulgaria
On December 11 in Sofia, a regular meeting of the Russian-Bulgarian inter-governmental commission on economic cooperation failed to restart the three major Russian energy projects in Bulgaria: the South Stream gas pipeline, Burgas-Alexandropolis oil pipeline, and Belene nuclear power plant. The center-right Bulgarian government, in... MORE
Gazprom Agrees Not to Penalize Naftohaz, Gas Price to Grow in 2010
Gazprom and Naftohaz Ukrainy on November 24 signed addenda to their earlier contracts according to which Naftohaz will not pay fines for buying less gas in 2009 than stipulated by the contracts. Gazprom also allowed Naftohaz to buy less gas in 2010, 33.75 billion cubic... MORE
Taiwan and the Changing Strategic Balance in the East China Sea
On October 19, Legislator and Chairman of Congressional Caucus for the opposition party DPP (Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party) Chai Trong-rong publicly accused the Ma Ying-jeou administration of providing China with sensitive undersea survey data around Taiwan. Legislator Chai maintained that the information, which he alleged... MORE