Things just got real interesting real fast. From Blomberg:
Russia to Shift Ukraine Gas Transit to Turkey as EU Cries Foul
Russia plans to shift all its natural gas flows crossing Ukraine to a route via Turkey, a surprise move that the European Union’s energy chief said would hurt its reputation as a supplier.
The decision makes no economic sense, Maros Sefcovic, the European Commission’s vice president for energy union, told reporters today after talks with Russian government officials and the head of gas exporter, OAO Gazprom, in Moscow.
Gazprom, the world’s biggest natural gas supplier, plans to send 63 billion cubic meters through a proposed link under the Black Sea to Turkey, fully replacing shipments via Ukraine, Chief Executive Officer Alexey Miller said during the discussions. About 40 percent of Russia’s gas exports to Europe and Turkey travel through Ukraine’s Soviet-era network.
Russia, which supplies about 30 percent of Europe’s gas, dropped a planned link through Bulgaria bypassing Ukraine amid EU opposition last year. Russia’s relations with the EU have reached a post-Cold War low over President Vladimir Putin’s support for separatists in Ukraine.
Great opportunity for us if we had some way to get our own natural gas out to our ports - a pipeline? It would also be nice if our own Federal Government would let us drill on Federal lands and off-shore.
And Maros - it makes a lot of economic sense if you get your head out of the progressive fogbank and deal with the realpolitik of the situation. Pooty-poot needs hard money and jacking your energy costs will get it for him. I don't know the age of the current pipeline but I am betting that it is over twenty years old. Time for a new one and time to bring some new allies into the camp. Turkey is moderate Islam - by making them dependent on the pipeline revenues and cheap Russian gas, this will make the Islamofascists less likely to attack Russia again.
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