Posted on 03/07/2014 11:10:14 PM PST by Berlin_Freeper
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 84% of Russia’s oil exports and 80% of its natural gas exports went to European Union consumers. Any delay or halt in that amount would leave Russia with a “massive hole in the country’s budget”. Further, the move would pack far less punch than it did in 2009 as Germany and the rest of Europe have more choices for alternatives than ever before, including Norway and Algeria. Finally, forward thinking and a mild winter have allowed those countries would be most affected to build significant reserves that could last them months. Even Ukraine boasts some storage reserves and has recently signed a new agreement with Germany to import natural gas, according to Yakobashvili.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
Bump
After we saw the Russian stocks drop, Putin came running out of his dark crypt to blame the West.
Finally some good news, this Russia worship and Putin worship is annoying the heck out of me.
Granted Europe would not like that, but Europe didn't place their flesh between Russia and the Ukrainians either.
The Obama, McCain, Kerry, MSM, and EU worship annoys me.
Prolly more about a longing for masculinity in leadership than about worship. I’ll add that a presiding Thatcher or Merkel would have offset the appreciation we’re now seeing for Vladimir. It’s worth pointing out that the “worship” didn’t exist with Dubya.
Obama’s pathetic. But excluding his affinity to homosexuality, he’s only shades apart from Vladimir as far liberty is concerned.
THEY can and they will do it, if necessary.
By bulding new gazeoducs through Poland and Bulgaria - after the crisis of 2009, Gazprom has reduced the traffic through Ukraine at 35% of their exports.
Actually most of the gas arriving in Ukraine (which depends on it for 80% enery needs) is used locally.
If I were a Ukrainian patriot and Putin did not back off some high explosive set off in some of the pipeline junctions might change his mind
You beat me to the thought Putin can’t defend all the pipeline junctions running through Ukraine
“If I were a Ukrainian patriot ... some high explosive set off in some of the pipeline junctions ...
will turn my contry in the dark and its economy to a stand-still”.
Just ... Brilliant!!! *grin*
And why should the people of the Ukraine care so much about Europe since they didn’t exactly jump in here to protect them or to even speak ill of Russia.
There she blows! IMO.
There is enough coal in Doneskto power every power plant in Ukraine for over 100 years easily.
That’s not the problem.
I’m always astonished at comments based on thin air.
Europe depends on imported energy at 35%, up from 26% last year, BUT the Eastern (ex-communist) countries rely on it at more than 60% of their energy needs.
Russia cut off the gas to Europe transiting through Ukraine twice, in 2006 and 2009. In each case, there was a notable effect on European markets. If Russia cuts the gas which flows through Ukraine, this would also cut supplies to Hungary, Romania, Czech and the Slovak Republics.
It is not ALL about f...g, nazi Eastern Ukraine and his maidan thugs.
And why should the people of the Ukraine care so much about Europe
It just begged Europe for $40 billion
Norway, being a major natural gas exporter, could replace a huge fraction of the natural gas output from Russia. Small wonder why Norway never contemplated joining the European Union or the Eurozone—they don’t want their economy tied to EU rules.
Because this year is the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I, I am re-reading Tuchman’s “Guns of August.” Prior to WW I breaking out she talks about how the experts and economists of the period state that because of the structure of the world economy and trade that it was absolutely impossible for a World War to occur.
“According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 84% of Russia’s oil exports and 80% of its natural gas exports went to European Union consumers.”
The US Energy information is badly informed.
Europe is on the way of being the second buyers of Russia energy.
In 2013, Russian energy companies signed deals with China to fund costly production and pipeline projects that will direct exports away from Europe to Asia.
Rosneft agreed to pump 200,000 barrels per day of crude oil over 10 years to China’s Sinopec Group, in a pre-paid deal valued at $85 billion.
“China is likely to overtake the United States (as an oil importer), and Russia has to stake its claim in China,” said Andrey Polishchuk, analyst at Raiffeisenbank in Moscow, saying some oil flows to Europe would be redirected eastward.
Energy analysts say Chinese oil imports will be rising to 9.2 million bpd by 2020 from 2.5 million bpd as recently as 2005.
Gazprom had reached an agreement to supply 38 billion cubic metres per year of gas by pipeline to China.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/22/china-russia-energy-idUSL5N0IC10F20131022
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