Tag: gazprom

Politically correct rhetoric of recent addresses from Russian President Vladimir Putin and his focus on problems in Russia and post-Soviet space may be attributed to the objective lack of foreign partners to form a global strategic agenda, writes Lidiya Smola.

The rise of independent gas producers in Russia marks a paradigm-shift for the domestic market, and could ultimately challenge Gazprom’s dominant position both at home and in the export markets, argues Danila Bochkarev.

Ukraine took a step closer to a breakthrough shale gas deal with global energy major Royal Dutch Shell when local authorities in the eastern Donetsk region approved a planned production sharing agreement.

Ukraine's president pulled out of gas price talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin at the last minute on Tuesday (18 December), raising concern about the reliability of supplies to Europe before a Russia-EU summit.

The construction of the offshore section of the South Stream pipeline is due to officially start today (7 December) with a ceremony near the Russian Black Sea town of Anapa in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin. But Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger has reportedly declined the invitation to attend.

Future energy relations between Bulgaria and Russia could be decided on 15 November, the deadline for Bulgaria to sign a deal to build the South Stream gas pipeline across its territory. European officials say they are closely watching the developments but don’t see South Stream as a priority. 

Russia's Gazprom committed more than €29 billion to develop an East Siberian gas field and build a pipeline to the Pacific port of Vladivostok in a bid to lessen its reliance on exports to Europe and develop Asian markets, amid falling demand from Europe.

RWE Transgas, the Czech unit of Germany's RWE, has won a landmark legal dispute with Gazprom over gas contracts, after a court ruled for the first time that a company did not have to pay fines under a "take-or-pay" clause.

Lithuanian representatives have denied trying to win votes in a forthcoming election by filing a €1.45 billion complaint against Gazprom with a Stockholm arbitration court.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton strongly criticised Russia for its authoritarian tendencies since Vladimir Putin returned to the presidency in May, telling the European Parliament yesterday (12 September) she also welcomed the “awakening of the civil society” in the Union’s biggest neighbour.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has called for establishing an international consortium consisting of Ukraine, Russia and the European Union to modernise and manage the Ukrainian natural gas transport system.

The European Commission is investigating the Russian energy giant Gazprom for allegedly hindering competition in Central and Eastern European gas markets, in breach of EU antitrust rules. 

A consortium backing the Gazprom-led South Stream pipeline expects to make a final investment decision within months, says the head of one of its second largest shareholder, Italy’s Eni energy.

Lithuania aims at achieving energy independence by 2020 through the implementation of a series of projects that a high official compared to chess pieces in a match against Russia, its former Soviet master.

Russia insists on sticking to its current gas supply agreement with Ukraine despite repeated calls from Kyiv to renegotiate the deal, the head of Russia’s Gazprom says.

UK oil major BP said it was no longer considering shipping gas from its Shah Deniz field in Azerbaijan through the Nabucco pipeline, dealing a blow to the troubled European project. But the European Commission said the “full-scale version” of Nabucco was still the main option under consideration.

Little will change in the poor management of Russia's energy sector with the return of Valdimir Putin as president of Russia, says Mikhail Krutikhin in an analysis initially published the European Union Institute for Security Studies.

The environmental group Food & Water Europe has accused the Polish author of a European Parliament report on shale gas extraction of resorting to "Cold War" rhetoric against Russia to support the industry's development.

Russian home and industrial consumers have traditionally enjoyed generous subsidies for natural gas. Today, the Kremlin finds itself in a tough spot - satisfying domestic constituents or authorising dramatic rises in gas prices to fund major projects planned the Gazprom monopoly, Stratfor analysts say.

As cash-strapped Greece is selling many of its state assets, three Russian companies including Gazprom are bidding to acquire the Greek gas companies DEPA and DESFA, out of a total of 17 bidders from 12 countries.

Bulgaria and Russia have agreed that a final investment decision on the South Stream gas pipeline will be taken in November. Russia is speeding up construction of the pipeline, which will bring Russian gas through the Black Sea to Bulgaria and countries further west.

Ukraine hopes to work out a new deal on the supplies of Russian gas by late May, after Russian president-elect Vladimir Putin assumes power, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich said yesterday (22 March).

A southern gas corridor is taking shape with one branch leading to Italy via the Trans Adriatic pipeline (TAP), and the other one, called "the northern route", to be built either by the Nabucco consortium or the South East Europe Pipeline project (SEEP) - which enjoys the support of an Azerbaijan gas consortium - the TAP director told EurActiv.

Drawing lessons from this year's cold snap, the Russian export monopoly Gazprom has announced it will double its underground gas storage capacity in Europe, raising concerns that it might abuse its dominant position.