Notwithstanding US reservations over the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, the World Bank has described it as a win-win deal and expressed readiness to fund the seven billion dollar project.

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 recent meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) has again reignited fears that the organization will emerge as a gas OPEC. These fears have been further fuelled by plans to set up a price formula working group. However, according to independent market analyst Datamonitor (DTM.L), the ability of the GECF to emerge as a gas OPEC, at least in the short to medium term, remains limited.

Official from the Russian Economy Ministry told reporters on Wednesday, April 18, that Russia plans to build the world's longest tunnel, a transport and pipeline link under the Bering Strait to Alaska, as part of a $65 billion project to supply the U.S. with oil, natural gas and electricity from Siberia.

Gazprom Takes Formal Control of Sakhalin-2, Russia Approves Phase 2 Budget.

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.

Oil and gas industry representatives of Australia are calling on the government to provide bigger tax incentives to encourage the discovery of new projects.

The Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, officially opened on March 19 by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Armenian President Robert Kocharian, has quickly emerged as a source of speculation about regional energy alliances. A trip to Armenia by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili two days after the pipeline's opening provided plenty of fuel for conjecture.

China will apply new technologies and increase investment to boost oil and gas output, according to the Eleventh Five-Year Plan for Energy Development (2006-2010) released by the National Development and Reform Commission on Tuesday.

Energy ministers from Iran and Qatar denied that the world's largest natural gas exporting countries, who held talks here on Monday, intend to band together as a cartel. Discussions at the 16-member Gas Producing Countries Forum focused on deepening cooperation between gas producing countries with an aim to create a stable world market for the fuel, Iran's Minister of Petroleum Seyed Hamaneh and his Qatari counterpart Abdullah al-Attiyah said.

Representatives of the world's leading natural-gas exporting states have opened a two-day meeting in Qatar to discuss ways to cooperate more closely.

Turkey's Anatolia news agency says Ankara has suspended talks with Gaz de France on possible cooperation on a gas-pipeline project.