Energy Blast – Oct 8, 2010

Following complaints from the WWF that it could be negatively affecting grey whales in the Okhotsk Sea, environmental watchdog Rosprirodnadzor says that Rosneft’s Sakhalin project is not in violation of any environmental legislation.  Despite Russia’s not having the sunniest reputation, its domestic market for solar power is growing, says the Moscow Times, and could become a serious alternative to traditional sources.  France’s Air Liquide plans to move its air separation technology (which produces liquid industrial gases) to Nizhny Novgorod.  Russia is number three in a world transparency ranking of oil producing countries by Transparency International and New York-based Revenue Watch.  Will the Czech Republic be the next to join the Nabucco pipeline?  With natural gas production booming in the US, the FT looks at the implications of this for global gas markets, and whether or not it could help balance the discrepancy between US domestic prices and those on the LNG spot market in Asia.  Ukraine and Russia are in talks to set up a joint gas company, although such a move would not include a merger, according to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich.