Will Russian gas ever return?
Views on the longer-term future of the pariah state’s gas resources are divergent
Russian pipeline gas is unlike Russian oil in that reduced volumes to Europe cannot simply be diverted to other destinations, owing to the logistical constraints of moving the commodity. So, once eastern routes to China are maxed out, supply not delivered west is lost to the global market. The EU’s current strategy is to reduce its reliance on Russian gas as quickly as possible, while committing to phasing out such supplies entirely by 2027. But the Putin regime’s appetite to weaponise gas deliveries to try to break European unity on opposition to its murderous Ukraine invasion has outstripped even its former largest customer’s timetable for weaning itself off Russian supply. This disconnect
Also in this section
23 January 2025
The end of transit, though widely anticipated, leaves Europe paying a third more for gas than a year ago and greatly exposed to supply shocks
23 January 2025
The country’s government and E&P companies are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to increase domestic crude output as BP–ONGC tie-up leads the way
22 January 2025
The return of Donald Trump gives further evidence of ‘big oil’ as an investable asset, with the only question being whether anyone is really surprised
21 January 2025
The new president must put his cards on the table and tell the American people, and the world, if the US is formally abandoning the energy transition