Global Energy Security

Special report:

Liquefied Natural Gas Outlook: Expectations and Reality

World market has shown interest to liquefied gas. Russia has so far been aside of it. However, producers have announced several large LNG projects. The new study will help investigate this delicate subject and understand what is in store for LNG production and export in the nearest years.

Analytical series “The Fuel and Energy Complex of Russia”:

State System of Administrating the Oil and Gas Sector

Dmitry Medvedev has passed the equator of his first presidential term. Considering the past two years one can already make conclusions about the work of the state system regulating the oil and gas sector launched in 2008. Its designer is certainly Vladimir Putin, who remains the main figure in the Russian economy and politics despite all speculations by experts. Yet, the new mechanism has some serious differences from what we observed during the eight years of Putin’s tenure.

Gas Pipeline Wars in Europe and Central Asia

Scared by the concept of turning Russia (the main gas supplier) into an energy superpower Europe declared the course aimed at diversifying supplies at any cost. Meanwhile, both players have missed sharp strengthening of China’s positions in Central Asia, which makes this geopolitical solitaire even more confusing and intriguing.

Anti-Crisis Policy in the Oil and Gas Sector And Its Consequences

Vladimir Putin is facing a necessity to decide on the role the oil and gas industry should play. The selection of anti-crisis measures in the sector depends on that. Different roles Vladimir Putin plays result in some chaos in managing the sector. In particular, on one side, he deals quite willingly with Gazprom’s development. But on the other side, the company is interested in raising domestic gas prices by ensuring equal profitability of exports and supplies to the domestic market. However, this will be a serious blow to the Russian industry Putin is responsible for being the prime minister.

Western and Eastern Vectors of the Russian Oil and Gas Sector Development

The country’s official energy strategy stipulates deliveries of Russian hydrocarbons to new markets, first of in Asia. On one side, this looks logical since Asian countries are becoming major driving forces of the demand for raw energy resources.On the other side, the Russian energy strategy proceeds from a rather doubtful supposition that the domestic oil and gas production will surge, which will allegedly enable Russia both to retain the European market and gain a place in the Asian sun.

“Ukrainian Front” and Problem of Gas Supplies to Europe

We have entered the year 2010 without “gas war” with Ukraine. Nevertheless the long-lasting systemic and personal political crisis in Ukraine is one of the major risk factors for Russian gas deliveries to Europe. No wonder that the major suspension in Gazprom’s supplies happened on this route. But the Ukrainian market and its gas transportation system are potentially interesting objects both for corporations and mediatory organizations to manage and generate profits.

State Regulation of the Oil and Gas Sector in 2009 and Outlooks for 2010

The National Energy Security Fund traditionally sums up the year results with a concluding report evaluating main tendencies and events in the oil and gas sector.

Gazprom: Plans, Risks, Prospects

The year 2009 has indeed been difficult for the Russian gas monopoly. For the first time, the Aleksey Miller team have found themselves facing a substantial decline in earnings and a deficit of resources. Fluctuating demand for gas and a decline in prices in Europe coincided with a “gas war” with Ukraine, growing controversies with the European Union, and a conflict with Turkmenistan.

Emergence of a Putin-sponsored Oil and Gas Aristocracy: Clans at War for Property

Many believe that Putin is attempting to achieve trouble-free operation of the system of passing power down from the predecessor to the successor. Yet no less important is to design a hereditary property system. Therefore, privatisation is becoming an increasingly obvious tendency in the sector evolution. It is quite another matter that not all present-day owners of existing private companies will have a «ticket to the future».

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