Nigeria:Pipeline to Europe back on the agenda

摘要

IT IS almost like old times-when the Soviet Union and the West struggled over natural resources in Africa.This time,the battle is for the trans-Saharan gas pipeline(TSGP),which would carry gas from Nigeria to Algeria and onwards to Europe.The idea has been on the table for years,but has failed to muster sufficient investment or enthusiasm,given the political,security and business risks evident in the countries through which it would pass-Nigeria,Niger and Algeria-and the availability of cheaper energy supplies to Europe from elsewhere.Now,however,rising demand and the consequences of the recent Russia-Georgia conflict,which highlighted possible threats to oil and gas supplies from Russia and central Asia,have encouraged the European Commission and EU governments to seek alternative gas supplies more assiduously.