Berliner Boersenzeitung - Ukraine showdown casts shadow over Qatar gas summit

EUR -
AED 4.157871
AFN 79.147377
ALL 97.791425
AMD 433.963171
ANG 2.025956
AOA 1038.063962
ARS 1293.941242
AUD 1.757171
AWG 2.04047
AZN 1.943585
BAM 1.952139
BBD 2.285135
BDT 137.852697
BGN 1.952749
BHD 0.426807
BIF 3367.506297
BMD 1.132022
BND 1.458687
BOB 7.819921
BRL 6.426376
BSD 1.131718
BTN 96.743446
BWP 15.190707
BYN 3.703658
BYR 22187.632659
BZD 2.273216
CAD 1.572316
CDF 3220.603083
CHF 0.935593
CLF 0.027814
CLP 1067.36074
CNY 8.173089
CNH 8.153044
COP 4723.384746
CRC 573.693722
CUC 1.132022
CUP 29.998585
CVE 110.057632
CZK 24.865929
DJF 201.531379
DKK 7.45938
DOP 66.711358
DZD 149.879916
EGP 56.511445
ERN 16.980331
ETB 152.37936
FJD 2.560072
FKP 0.846534
GBP 0.844619
GEL 3.101729
GGP 0.846534
GHS 13.467031
GIP 0.846534
GMD 82.075021
GNF 9803.701336
GTQ 8.687248
GYD 237.462092
HKD 8.864848
HNL 29.458454
HRK 7.531115
HTG 148.144327
HUF 402.196098
IDR 18484.562049
ILS 4.019754
IMP 0.846534
INR 96.878504
IQD 1482.541154
IRR 47672.27578
ISK 144.615673
JEP 0.846534
JMD 179.902622
JOD 0.80261
JPY 162.782814
KES 146.438953
KGS 98.995356
KHR 4530.264102
KMF 495.254296
KPW 1018.833904
KRW 1557.005483
KWD 0.347395
KYD 0.943081
KZT 576.997352
LAK 24468.815758
LBP 101400.764659
LKR 339.075616
LRD 226.343532
LSL 20.220911
LTL 3.342567
LVL 0.684749
LYD 6.203312
MAD 10.437818
MDL 19.573256
MGA 5067.228651
MKD 61.413319
MMK 2376.621027
MNT 4053.379776
MOP 9.125802
MRU 44.85249
MUR 51.73397
MVR 17.500717
MWK 1962.415791
MXN 21.861954
MYR 4.833712
MZN 72.334331
NAD 20.220109
NGN 1802.49641
NIO 41.652256
NOK 11.492627
NPR 154.789513
NZD 1.907095
OMR 0.435789
PAB 1.131718
PEN 4.172512
PGK 4.639259
PHP 62.977219
PKR 319.017643
PLN 4.24297
PYG 9039.648322
QAR 4.126225
RON 5.070892
RSD 117.044299
RUB 90.695383
RWF 1621.173823
SAR 4.246113
SBD 9.437819
SCR 16.359911
SDG 679.77724
SEK 10.848966
SGD 1.460297
SHP 0.889592
SLE 25.69445
SLL 23737.937132
SOS 646.752839
SRD 41.488488
STD 23430.571397
SVC 9.903515
SYP 14719.09719
SZL 20.225997
THB 37.115041
TJS 11.628277
TMT 3.967737
TND 3.386549
TOP 2.651307
TRY 43.949402
TTD 7.688175
TWD 34.061975
TZS 3060.418785
UAH 46.894942
UGX 4133.2852
USD 1.132022
UYU 47.141178
UZS 14591.507075
VES 107.184293
VND 29402.009339
VUV 137.319521
WST 3.135804
XAF 654.694525
XAG 0.034179
XAU 0.000342
XCD 3.059346
XDR 0.817488
XOF 654.729161
XPF 119.331742
YER 276.099227
ZAR 20.285727
ZMK 10189.557502
ZMW 30.782641
ZWL 364.510646
  • CMSC

    -0.1600

    22.1

    -0.72%

  • GSK

    0.4000

    38.8

    +1.03%

  • RIO

    0.3450

    62.585

    +0.55%

  • BTI

    0.2450

    44.685

    +0.55%

  • AZN

    0.7750

    70.695

    +1.1%

  • NGG

    0.3900

    73.81

    +0.53%

  • BP

    -0.0600

    29.14

    -0.21%

  • SCS

    -0.1050

    10.145

    -1.03%

  • RBGPF

    4.2000

    67.2

    +6.25%

  • CMSD

    -0.1500

    22.02

    -0.68%

  • RYCEF

    0.2300

    11.15

    +2.06%

  • RELX

    0.5530

    55.543

    +1%

  • BCE

    -0.0200

    21.64

    -0.09%

  • JRI

    0.0000

    12.82

    0%

  • VOD

    0.0950

    10.485

    +0.91%

  • BCC

    -1.1600

    88.76

    -1.31%

Ukraine showdown casts shadow over Qatar gas summit
Ukraine showdown casts shadow over Qatar gas summit

Ukraine showdown casts shadow over Qatar gas summit

Leading gas producers meet in Qatar from Sunday to discuss how to answer frantic world demand, with Russian President Vladimir Putin expected to stay away as Ukraine tensions soar, diplomats said.

Text size:

The 11-member Gas Exporting Countries Forum holds its annual summit as the Ukraine showdown sends prices ever higher while Europe fears for its supplies from Russia.

The group that includes Russia, Qatar, Iran, Libya, Algeria and Nigeria -- accounting for more than 70 percent of proven gas reserves -- has faced mounting pressure as Europe has sought alternative suppliers to Russia.

But most say they are already at or near maximum production and can only send short term relief supplies to Europe if existing customers agree.

Diplomats who took part in preparatory meetings said the group -- which does not include key producers Australia and the United States -- will discuss ways to increase production in the medium term.

"But their hands are tied, there is next to no spare gas," said one, speaking on condition of anonymity.

After two days of ministerial meetings, Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, who has rarely left his country since taking office, is to join Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, for the summit on Tuesday.

Putin is not expected to take up his invitation to attend despite his country's importance, diplomats said.

Thierry Bros, a professor at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris who specialises in the gas industry, said Russia has a dominant role in the industry as its Gazprom giant is the only enterprise with spare capacity.

"So it is Putin who decides and he decides at the Kremlin."

- Contract demands -

Bros said the forum would probably reaffirm its message to Europe that it needs to sign long term contracts to secure a guaranteed supply.

All producing countries will have to make massive investments to increase their output but the European Union has long resisted contracts of 10, 15 or 20 years. Now, however, it has vowed to transition to clean energies and also faces the Ukraine crisis.

"The meeting is interesting because there are the Russians, with whom we no longer like to speak, and the Qataris, who are big friends with the European Commission, again to try to get liquefied gas.

"For Russia and Qatar, the aim is to maximize revenues and guarantee a long term market for their gas commodity," he said.

- Ukraine link -

Qatar has increasingly sought to boost its diplomatic sway as a mediator and facilitator so Ukraine could also be discussed in talks, according to Andreas Krieg a security specialist at King's College London.

"Qatar could use this forum to reach out to Russia over Ukraine as all parties are concerned over what an escalation in the crisis would mean to global gas supply security."

He said Russia may want contacts with Qatar as European customers look to the emirate as an alternative supplier. Russia currently has a 40 percent share of the European market and Qatar five percent.

"It would be quite an opportunity if Qatar could use the forum to offer their good offices to the United States to mediate between them and Russia in this crisis."

Qatar and Iran also have overlapping gas interests in the Gulf and the emirate has been seeking to help diplomatic efforts to revive a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers.

"Sanctions relief for Iran would ultimately also affect the gas sector and gas exports, which would be conducive to the forum's overall objective of maintaining gas supply security," Krieg said.

(S.G.Stein--BBZ)