Energy Issues
31- Caspian Pipeline Consortium
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), a shipper-owned oil pipeline carrying Caspian oil to Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossyisk, remains to this day the only oil export pipeline on Russian territory that is not under the control of the state company Transneft. Completed in 2001, the CPC was, from the start, the product of a fragile balance of power between states eager to maintain control of hydrocarbon flows and private companies able to finance the necessary infrastructure. Despite its economic success, the future of the CPC currently hinges on a shareholding dispute pitting Russia against Western private shareholders. This essay places the CPC dossier in the broader context of Russia's investment climate and argues that the dispute's dynamic is an important bellwether of the Russian energy policy. Adrian Dellecker is a Research Associate at Ifri's Russia/NIS Center.
26-EU Gas Liberalization as a Driver of Gazprom's Strategies ?
24- Russia and the "Gas OPEC"
The threat of a gas-OPEC, waved around by certain big producers, has given rise to much fear in consuming countries. The behavior of Russia, a key exporter, has made it seem as though gas sales could be used as a political weapon. In truth, the creation of an entente between exporting countries is not technically feasible. What is more, Russia remains reticent to join any association in order not to limit its room for maneuver.
19-Opacity of Russian-Ukrainian Energy
The Orange revolution and the crisis over gas deliveries from Russia highlighted the extreme opacity of the country's bilateral relations with Russia, which are governed as much by the interests surrounding Gazprom's relations as by those of the state. By Arnaud Dubien, Editor-in-Chief of the Ukraine Intelligence and Russia Intelligence newsletters. by Dec 4
18- Gazprom As A Predictable Partner
The recent crises over oil & gas deliveries from Russia to Ukraine and Belarus reflect behind-the-scene conflicts between powerful factions inside the Kremlin and in Ukraine rather than the exercise of an "energy weapon." By Jérôme Guillet, investment banker in Paris, and the editor of the European Tribune, a website on European politics. by Dec 4
17- Gazprom, Energy Suicide ?
The future of Russia's largest company-Gazprom-and the development of its future production capacities are at the center of a complex financial and political game dominated by numerous uncertainties. By Christophe-Alexandre Paillard, Head of the Industrial and Technological Trends Department within the French Ministry of Defense's Strategic Affairs Office. by Dec 4