It’s been more than one year now since the historic memorandum of understanding was signed between Gazprom and Algeria’s state-owned exporter Sonatrach, an agreement which in theory put 69% of Italy’s natural gas under the control of a sole distributor. On this blog we identified it as one of the more pivotal energy security events in recent memory, and the first formative move to create a creeping natural gas cartel. At the time, EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said that “Our worries are the development of the contacts between Russia and Algeria,” which he believed would create a type of cartel. The Gazprom-Sonatrach agreement also made a visible impact on Paolo Scaroni of Eni, who went from warning about the cartel to becoming one of Gazprom’s proxies in Europe shortly following this deal. “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” seems to be the Italian wildcat’s strategy. Now he’s the proud owner of stolen Yukos assets, which can be held over the company’s head like kompromat. However there’s a lot more at stake with the Algeria arrangement, and it is possible that the executives at Sonatrach may be weary that they are getting a bad deal. Algerian officials have made great efforts to play down this alarming energy alliance with the Russians, and point out that the MoU still has not produced anything concrete. Is the marriage with Gazprom on the rocks? Or is Europe only being told what it hopes to hear?