Europes Gas supply Facts

• Natural gas accounts for 25% of worlds total energy consumption
• Reserves of it in Western Europe limited
• Main producing countries within Western Europe- Netherlands, Norway and the Uk
• However more than 30% of gas consumptions in Western Europe is met by pipeline imports from the Soviet Union and Algeria
• Before the break up of the Soviet Union- most of the gas it exported went to Eastern Europe
• Russia continues
• has diversified- more than 62% of natural gas exports being sold to non-traditional destinations (Western Europe)
• due to case of depending on it as primary source it is unlikely that our import dependence on Russia for gas will cease



Ukraine/Russia gas dispute threatened Europes central heating 

• Remained economically and politically close to Russia until 2005
• now government with Western sypathies was elected and a major dispute emerged
• While 2 countries were allied- Ukraine recieved gas from Russia at below market price. Relations was threatened when Gazprom (the gas company in Russia) threatened to raise the gas prices
• On 1st Jan 2006 Gazprom shut down gas supplies to Ukraine
• Supplies to Europe were also affected
• Eventually it allowed Ukraine to recieve gas at market price