Energy Blast – Nov 30, 2011

Read here why the Wall Street Journal sees Russia’s tightening grip on Belarusan energy infrastructure as a ‘positive in the European Union—not the least because winter is approaching’.   For Europe to assure its energy supplies, a parallel development of the Nabucco and White Stream gas pipelines would be most effective, the latter’s chairman has advised.  The Moscow Times reports that Russian industrial users will pay about $2.84 per million British thermal units for gas this year, which is a higher price than that paid by its counterparts in the US.  A US plan to introduce additional sanctions on Iran’s banking system means that the world’s third largest crude exporter will face increasing problems in capitalizing on its oil.  Japan, Canada and Russia’s refusal to extend the Kyoto Protocol will imperil the international repsosne to global warming, says Beijing’s lead negotiator, Su Wei, at current international climate talks.