In 2024, global natural gas demand was estimated to have recorded a strong 2.9% growth, to stand at a new record of 4166 bcm, representing an annual incremental volume of 118 bcm. By way of comparison, growth over the pre-crisis period 2010-2019 stood at 2.4 %/year. This rebound was partly due to structural growth factors, which are expected to persist in the long term, including energy policies in favour of the expansion of gas, the booming Asian gas market, the growing role of gas as a dispatchable electricity source supporting intermittent renewables, increased use of LNG for transportation and more sudden and extreme climatic events which reinforced the crucial role of gas-fired power generation for peak load. On the supply side, global marketed natural gas production increased more moderately by 1.7% to 4159 bcm, driven predominantly by Russia, China and Norway. Despite tight LNG supplies, demand continued to grow robustly as major consumer markets tapped into their abundant stocks during periods of market tensions to ensure gas supply security and flexibility. In this context, European and Asian spot prices softened from the previous year but remained elevated. High price volatility reflected unforeseen events on both the supply and demand sides, including geopolitical tensions and extreme weather events.
Natural Gas Market
East Mediterranean Natural Gas Markets-2023: in Search of Development Pathways
Amidst the gas supply crisis aftermath in Europe and with global spot gas prices remaining in the double-digit range for the past years, the EastMed natural gas sector has been attracting growing attention from major producers, investors, and potential gas buyers. With vast reserves amounting to trillions of cubic meters, the EastMed countries hold the potential to bolster their own energy security and expand global gas export capabilities alleviating pressure in the tight gas market.
The latest CEDIGAZ report “East Mediterranean Natural Gas Markets-2023: in Search of Development Pathways” authored by Alexander Kislov and Gina Cohen, presents a thorough analysis of the development of the EastMed natural gas province, examining the most recent advancements in Egypt, Israel, Türkiye, Cyprus, Jordan, and Lebanon, and perspectives of new large-scale gas exports projects. While the future of the EastMed natural gas province is contingent on various factors, the detailed information and complete data presented in the report provide an opportunity to outline the potential outcomes and contours of the EastMed puzzle.
Could Russian pipeline gas return to Europe?
An analysis of EU-Russian Long-Term Gas Contracts
The European Union’s ambitious plans to cut Russian gas from its energy mix by 2027, following the aggression of Ukraine, have stirred significant uncertainty around the future of long-term gas supply contracts with Russia’s state-owned Gazprom.
According to the Cedigaz database on long-term pipeline contracts, more than 100 billion cubic meters of gas are tied up in agreements between Gazprom and European buyers, most not expiring before 2030 to 2035.
This begs a pivotal question: could Russian pipeline gas flow back to Europe under these contracts?