Uncertainties over Europe's long-term gas supplies

Major exploration and infrastructure projects designed to ensure security of supply of natural gas to Europe have been delayed by political wrangling and investment uncertainty in recent years. If gas demand recovers from the impacts of the recession, then the European gas market could face a supply crunch, say analysts. Katie Holliday reports

With declining domestic resources, Europe is heavily reliant on Russia, Turkmenistan and Algeria for its natural gas needs. The European Commission (EC) calculates that Europe's total gas consumption will increase from 502 billion cubic meters (bcm), in 2005, to 815 bcm in 2030, placing additional pressure on exploration and pipeline projects to fill this gap in supply. But the past five years have seen the shape of the European natural gas market change dramatically, with demand decreasing year