A major difference between the world's two leading liberalised gas markets is that US gas imports are less than 5% of total consumption; Europe's imports are over 45%. The decline in Europe's indigenous gas production continues. The International Energy Agency's (IEA) data shows that of the 16 European OECD members, only Norway, the Netherlands and Denmark can cover domestic demand. All other European OECD members had become netimporters of natural gas by 2009. Norway and the Netherlands export gas to the rest of Europe, but 33% of imported gas comes into OECD Europe by pipeline from Russia, Algeria, Libya and Azerbaijan, and a further 12% via LNG imports from Algeria, Qatar, Nigeria, Trinidad and Egypt.
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