Europe's gas security conundrum

Central Asian countries are eager to pick up the slack, if sanctions hit Russian pipeline supply to Europe

Beefed up US sanctions against Russia are hampering Gazprom's plans to send more gas to Europe, potentially paving the way for Russia's rivals in the Caspian region—and the US—to muscle in. It's an area of uncertainty that European leaders need to resolve one way or another quickly. The European Union is going to need to import a lot more gas in the short-to medium-term, even allowing for the greening of economies, given the gradual dwindling of North Sea supply. The EU's PRIMES model, published last year, predicts a steady climb in net gas imports, rising from around 310bn cubic metres (or 73% of gross inland gas consumption) in 2020 to 328bn cm (80%) in 2030 and 360bn cm (88%) in 2050. Whi