Russia (AP) - the Russian energy giant gazprom spending billions of dollars to enlarge its in Europe has very big footprint. But it must proceed with caution, global gas supply increased, and prices have fallen, the European business and enterprise more supply contract negotiations of the leverage.
In a luxury to memorial in December began to build a new pipeline to Europe, gazprom will show its industrial strength, to match the project 100 million euros ($2.092 billion) euro price tag. In the black sea coast, 600 miles south of Moscow, the company built a eight large steel frame marquee house Russian President vladimir putin, gazprom management personnel and different European partners - all two hours of ceremony, 2 short section of the new NaXi pipe welding together.
Although gas industry joint-stock company reputation reactor in the event, the recognition, the company is losing it has more than European influence. Although the region will continue to rely on natural gas pipeline from Russia for decades, its capacity requirements better price increase. This is because gazprom face the pressure of competition, all over the world, the growth of the natural gas production in the United States, Australia, the Middle East and Africa. In other words, it needs more than ever in Europe.
Emerged from the Soviet union's gas department cast in the 1980 s and 90 s Russian privatization, gazprom is actually the country's natural gas industry, accounting for the country's natural gas output of about 80%. , the company released the second quarter of 2012, net profit to cost about $5 billion, holding the Russian natural gas export monopoly market, the first choice which field operation. Gazprom from all over the world last year about 23.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas export.
The vast majority of these exported to Europe. The company provides a quarter of the 27 European Union of natural gas demand is about 12.4 billion cubic meters, according to the bureau of statistics, the European Union's official data service. The Russian natural gas industry company Europe still line itself, because, at the moment, it is almost impossible to find enough natural gas from other sources, to replace the company export of absolute quantity.
NaXi pipe - joint investment by gazprom, the Italian company eni, France EDF and German winters - conceived in 2007. NaXi is due to begin in 2015 operation, and will bring up to 6.3 billion cubic meters a year of Russian gas to the Balkans, Austria and Italy.
However, the market has undergone tremendous changes, what people thinks of above all, because NaXi gas. Natural gas reserves and export facilities popping up all over the world. European energy group has started from Qatar imported gas, there will be more and more supplier selection, with more and more equipment to online.
In the past few years, gazprom has been lock dispute and European clients in their pricing policy. What they think is the rigidity of the terms of the contract: high tariffs and oil price and with - or - compensation terms the middle lock energy company with big European energy companies, such as Germany, France e.on financial police the Suez Canal or polish PGNiG - they may not need, and roll.
In 2012, the Russian natural gas industrial company export average price of $381 per 1000 cubic meters - or $10.88 per 1000 cubic feet of gas export to Europe. This is the most important than in two European reference gas prices, in Britain and Amsterdam, with an average price of $9.47 per 1000 cubic feet and $9.42 per 1000 cubic feet of gas, respectively, according to the proctor energy information, a global energy information provider.
In the first half of 2012, gazprom has paid about 13.3 billion roubles ($4.3 billion), in the "back discount", in order to solve the disputes in the contract with the customer, according to the results. European people yearn for more.
CEO Paul ska Ronnie, Italian company eni to have 20% NaXi, said his company will need as much gas from this year gazprom, because it is doomed to buy next belt or pay obligation, because the market under the condition of the weak.
Company eni successfully at a lower price from gazprom last year, ska Ronnie told the Associated Press, he did not see any reason why they should not be changed in the future to adapt to the market price. "
"Russian gas should be very cheap production, therefore, it will be any gas in the competitiveness of the world," he said.
One of the largest long-term threat, gazprom from the United States, the country's natural gas industry due to the recent rapid growth of perfect drilling technology, called "hydraulic fracturing" - drilling from underground shale extract.
The natural gas production rose to a record 178 million cubic meters (6.3 billion cubic feet) per day on average in 2012, according to the United States energy information administration. This is has decreased by 24% since 2007, when drilling start digging trapped in several American states shale formation of huge natural gas reserves. The United States, once considered need additional gas imports, at present in a few years is expected to become a exporter.
This is a big change, from five years ago, when the gazprom are to the American market supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The international energy agency predicts the natural gas production in the 2017 years up to more than Russia.
"Shale gas in North America and the United States, especially the prosperity of a double effect, to gazprom," IHS energy in senior energy analyst Andrew said Steve within. The company not only lost a customer, it also has to find a place to sell gas, it in the United States has dial out
On top of this, he warned: "North America's liquefied natural gas export may and Russian gas competition."
Gazprom's NaXi pipeline is built a series of conflicts and Ukraine, Russia ROM



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