Latest Articles about Energy
The Price of Gas and Russian Democracy
Russia’s state-owned gas giant Gazprom is preparing for a major financial hit in 2009. The world-wide economic slowdown has diminished gas consumption for Gazprom’s European industrial customers. The price of gas, which is indexed to the price of oil, has been dropping from the current... MORE
Purge of Serb Negotiating Team To Precipitate Onerous Energy Agreements with Russia
Serbia’s coalition government has removed Economics Minister Mladan Dinkic from his concurrent assignment as head of the negotiating team on energy agreements with Russia. The impending oil and gas deals involve essentially a Russian takeover of Serbia’s energy sector. Dinkic and his colleagues who were... MORE
Bakiyev Anticipates a Harsh Winter and an Energy Crisis, Further Restricts Free Speech
In the past few weeks the Kyrgyz government has been blocking transmission of Radio Free Europe (Azattyk) and BBC radio, both of which have a broadcast range covering the entire country. The ban comes at a time of a worsening energy crisis, rampant inflation, mobilization... MORE
Hungary Doubling Efforts for Nabucco Ahead of Budapest Summit
The Hungarian government and the private MOL energy company are doubling their efforts to help launch the Nabucco gas project on schedule. Given Hungary’s 80 percent dependence on Russian gas, even the oft-wavering Socialist Party has joined the consensus view that supply diversification through Nabucco... MORE
Russia, LNG, and the U.S. Natural Gas Market
In 2006, when oil and natural gas prices began steadily climbing, Russia’s state-owned gas company Gazprom announced that it had ambitions to become a leading Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) supplier to the enormous U.S. gas market. Gazprom and its Kremlin masters were eager to claim... MORE
Russia’s Gazprom Eyes Governmental Support
Russia's Gazprom Eyes Governmental Support Despite the current economic climate, the state-run gas monopoly Gazprom has pledged to move ahead with its ambitious development program, but it now appears that it will be forced to rely increasingly on government support.Earlier this month, Gazprom started construction... MORE
The Russo-Chinese Energy Follies
Chinese and Russian officials habitually proclaim that their bilateral relations have never been better and thereby invoke a great congruence in their agenda for the international regime. Thus Viktor Kremenyuk, deputy director of the U.S. and Canada Institute in the Russian Academy of Sciences, writes... MORE
Turkey and Iran Sign Accord on Natural Gas Cooperation
Ankara and Tehran signed an accord strengthening agreements on developing Iran’s gas fields and transporting Iranian gas to Europe. With the agreement, Turkey secures the operation rights for three offshore gas fields in Iran's South Pars region, off the southern gulf port of Assaluyeh. Under... MORE