Ex-Soviet Central Asian states will begin exporting their natural gas at European-level prices from 2009, Russia's gas monopoly, Gazprom, said on Tuesday.

China's disciplinary bodies on Tuesday warned local officials not to violate the central government's policies to control rising prices.

Ukraine has signaled it will be content with a Russian natural gas price of $160 per 1,000 cubic meters, a top manager of Russian energy giant Gazprom said on Friday.

The 2008 price of Russian natural gas for Belarus could be around $125 per 1,000 cubic meters, 25% more than the current rate, a deputy Russian industry and energy minister said on Friday.

India, Iran and Pakistan failed to reach a compromise on tariffs on natural gas deliveries and will continue talks on signing a tripartite gas pipeline agreement in July, the Indian press said citing government sources.

The negotiations on a new contract Russian natural gas supplies to Ukraine would be held in October-December of the year, Russia's Prime Minister said Friday, according to the Itar-TASS news agency.

The ethanol boom could dramatically impact natural gas prices. Some analysts are predicted a natural gas demand increase up to one percent from the ethanol boom. But their estimates do not include increased fertilizer demand to increase corn yields.

The surprise Northeaster blowing across the eastern United States may have confirmed the final bottom for hibernating natural gas and coalbed methane (CBM) company shares. The winter storm followed this past Tuesday's Energy Information Administration (EIA) Short-Term Energy & Summer Fuels Outlook.