HomeEnergy
Energy
Archive
EU Leaders Not Ready To Break With Putin
BRATISLAVA – The Hungarian government supports the Russian-led South Stream project, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban told New Europe on 15 May, noting that...
Archive
Israel Eyes Egyptian Conduit For EU Gas
The owners of an Israeli gas field have reached an agreement to export natural gas through Egypt, an economically lucrative deal that could also...
Archive
Limp US Sanctions Bypass Russia’s Energy Majors
The US Treasury blacklisted Rosneft Chairman Igor Sechin but Russia’s top oil producer itself was not placed on the black list. Sechin, an oil...
Archive
Malta Bets On Oil, Gas: Six, Two And Even
VALLETTA, Malta - My car driver, Heathcliff, points to a large oil rig docked in the Valletta Harbour as he takes me to the...
Archive
Putin’s Slick Iranian Oil Deal Upsets Sanctions
Iran and six world powers discussed in Vienna this week concrete steps towards a deal meant to result in long-term curbs on Tehran’s nuclear...
Archive
No End in Sight for Kashagan Oilfield Woes
It’s one of the world’s largest but also most challenging oil fields, still plagued by technical difficulties, mistakes and delays. It is unclear when...
Archive
Timchenko – South Stream’s Achilles’ Heel
A consortium led by Russia’s Stroitransgaz is reportedly a shoo-in to win a €3.5 billion deal to build a section of the South Stream natural gas pipeline across Bulgaria. Stroitransgaz...
Archive
Russian Energy Exempt From EU Sanctions
At the European Council meeting on 20-21 March, the Crimea crisis was discussed by EU leaders. However, the EU sanctions imposed on individuals over...
Archive
EU’s Gas Lifelines TAP, TANAP Coming
ATHENS - Both the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) will be completed in time for gas from the Caspian...
Archive
Road To South Stream Is Paved With Good Intentions
The reason an EU-Russia task force on the South Stream gas pipeline project was formed is not to renegotiate the Inter-Governmental Agreements between the countries concerned and...
Archive
Ukraine Crisis Boon For South Stream?
The construction of the Russian-backed South Stream gas pipeline, bypassing Ukraine, may be accelerated if the situation in Ukraine deteriorates further. The pipeline is...
Archive
Ukraine Violence Clouds Russia Gas Deal
Following lethal violence, Ukraine’s embattled President Viktor Yanukovich and opposition leaders have signed a breakthrough deal on ending the political crisis in the former...
Archive
Lower Oil Prices Won’t Upset Slick Putin
Claims that $80 oil would lead to an economic crisis in Russia and an end to the presidency of Vladimir Putin are not true,...
Archive
Shale Gas Fear Leaves UK Vulnerable
Cuadrilla Resources, one of the energy firms hoping to exploit the UK’s shale gas resources, has announced two new exploration sites in Lancashire. But...
Archive
Gazprom Compromises To Avoid Losing Business
The Lithuanian Energy Ministry said on 30 January that shareholders of the Baltic state’s gas utility Lietuvos Dujos voted to initiate arbitration against Russian...
Archive
Iran Yearns For The Return Of Western Capital
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani delivered a message of “friendship, engagement, co-operation and peaceful coexistence” on 23 January, signaling his country’s intention to seek constructive...
Archive
Commission to present climate targets for 2030
STRASBOURG – On 22 January, the European Commission will present the climate targets for 2030 although so far negotiations have proved difficult over the...
Archive
Russia fills US’ Iraq oil vacuum
On 9 January, Russian energy company Gazprom Neft, operator of the Badra oilfield, Iraq, said its first volumes of oil were produced from the...
Archive
Ukraine-Russia Lovefest Won’t Slow South Stream
The rapprochement between Moscow and Kiev, following a deal to provide Ukraine with a $15 billion loan and a gas price reduction from about...
Archive
Putin’s Ukraine Deal Chills Gazprom
The Gazprom officials’ facial expression on Russian television says it all. Clearly they did not agree with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s political decision to slash...
Archive
German Renewable Push Loses Steam
BERLIN – As the Lufthansa airplane made its final approach to land on a runway at Berlin’s Tegel airport, wind turbines appeared scattered across the landscape. Germany has been at the...
Archive
Iraq Wants Control of Oil Riches
Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz and Iraqi deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs Hussain al-Shahristani have said they agreed that oil exports from Iraq...
Archive
Libya, Iran pull oil prices in different directions
Unrest in Libya has raised supply worries fuelling oil prices while progress in settling the dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme has raised traders’ hopes...
Archive
Ukraine Edges Closer to Slovak Gas Imports
On 22 November, a European Commission official told New Europe that a Ukrainian deal with Slovakia allowing the former Soviet republic to import gas...
Archive
Gazprom’s South Stream Moving Into Europe
Gazprom said construction of its South Stream natural gas pipeline through Europe “was advancing steadily”. On 14 November, the management committee of the Russian...
Archive
Volatile Iraqi Oil Industry Won’t Catch Saudis
Iraq, which is heavily dependent on oil exports, is facing an uphill battle as the violence-torn country is seeking to dramatically ramp up its...
Archive
Gas Ender’s Game
ATHENS – Fresh Gazprom demands for Kiev to pay its overdue bills have sparked fears the Russian gas monopoly may cut gas supplies to...
Archive
Ukraine Wants To Be EU Gas Player
YALTA - Ukraine will still remain the main transit country for Russian gas supplies to Europe even if the South Stream and Nord Stream...
Archive
EU Backs Polish, Greek Energy Projects
The European Commission on 16 October approved €465 million and €134 million in project financing “for natural gas pipelines and modernisation works” in Poland and Greece...
Archive
Iran wants to ‘restart’ ties with Europe, US
BAKU – Iran is seeking to “restart” its relations with the European Union and the United States in an effort to get back into...
Archive
European Commission toughens its stance against Gazprom
An EU probe against Gazprom is moving ahead as regulators are preparing to charge the Russian gas export monopoly with abusing its dominant position...
Archive
Croatia: ‘Ionian Adriatic Pipeline is top priority’
ATHENS – The Ionian Adriatic Pipeline (IAP) is a top priority among all the regional pipeline projects for Croatia, the country’s deputy economy minister...
Archive
Oil Falls As Geopolitical Tensions Ease
Oil prices have dropped as Libya’s output increased, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he will provide international inspectors access to chemical weapons facilities and...
Archive
Oettinger tells Gazprom the EU means business
STRASBOURG – European Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger reiterated that the EU and Gazprom do not see eye to eye on long-term gas contracts and questioned...
Archive
Turkey’s BOTAS Eyes TAP Route To Europe
Turkey’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz reportedly said his country plans to buy a share of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) gas...
Albania
And The Azeri Gas Goes To… The Envelope, Please!
ANAVYSSOS, Greece – After intense preparation, Nabucco West and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) are waiting for Azerbaijan to announce its decision about the pipeline...
Archive
Turkey Wants Kurds’ Energy Hand
Turkey is turning to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to meet its growing demand for energy. Co-operation with Erbil may help Ankara diversify its oil and...
Archive
EU Commission, Gazprom Square Off
There is little love lost between Russia and the EU these days. Tension has already been heightened by disagreements over Syria, with Moscow warning...
Archive
Gazprom, SOCAR for Greece’s DEPA, DESFA
ATHENS - Following Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ visit to Baku on 19 May and Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller’s visit to Athens on 21...
Archive
Climate Talks Will Always Have Paris
PARIS – On 16 May, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he is “counting on help from the regions” as Paris undertakes the responsibility...
Archive
Greece irons out ‘technical details’ of DEPA sale
The privatisation tender for Greek Public Gas Corporation DEPA and gas network operator DESFA has been postponed “for technical reasons” and will be held...
Archive
Gazprom snubs EU-Ukraine gas talks
On 3 May, EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger and Ukraine’s Energy and Coal Industry Minister Eduard Stavytsky led a two-day international high-level roundtable to...
Archive
US Warning Shot To Iran On Nukes
BRATISLAVA – On 19 April, the United States reiterated it is “determined to stop” Iran from developing nuclear weapon capability. “States such as Iran...
Archive
Eco-innovation starts in Abruzzo
PESCARA, Italy – The Abruzzo region, Italy’s emerging tourist destination, is no stranger to crisis. An earthquake rocked L'Aquila in central Italy in 2009...
Must read