The New Geopolitics of Natural Gas

ISBN 9780674971837

Publication date: 04/24/2017

We are in the midst of an energy revolution, led by the United States. As the world’s greatest producer of natural gas moves aggressively to expand its exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG), America stands poised to become an energy superpower—an unanticipated development with far-reaching implications for the international order. Agnia Grigas drills deep into today’s gas markets to uncover the forces and trends transforming the geopolitics of gas.

The boom in shale gas production in the United States, the growth of global LNG trade, and the buildup of gas transport infrastructure worldwide have so transformed the traditional markets that natural gas appears to be on the verge of becoming a true global commodity. Traditional suppliers like Russia, whose energy-poor neighbors were dependent upon its gas exports and pipelines, are feeling the foundations of the old order shifting beneath their feet. Grigas examines how this new reality is rewriting the conventional rules of intercontinental gas trade and realigning strategic relations among the United States, the European Union, Russia, China, and beyond.

In the near term, Moscow’s political influence will erode as the Russian gas giant Gazprom loses share in its traditional markets while its efforts to pivot eastward to meet China’s voracious energy needs will largely depend on Beijing’s terms. In this new geopolitics of gas, the United States will enjoy opportunities but also face challenges in leveraging its newfound energy clout to reshape relations with both European states and rising Asian powers.

Praise

Agnia Grigas, an expert on global energy markets and a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, masterfully explains the geopolitical underpinnings of this gas triangle between Europe, Russia, and the United States in her latest book…Grigas details the major gas players, infrastructure, and the geopolitical tensions over energy supplies. Her book tackles dense issues with clarity and is written in a compelling manner…The New Geopolitics of Natural Gas should be required reading for those policymakers hoping to understand its implications on policy and the international order.

—Maria Dugas, Newsweek
As Grigas’ book ably explains, fracking has had economic and environmental effects that will become more profound over time. So, too, will the geopolitical consequences, as the increasing supply of LNG puts pressure on Qatar, Russia, and other gas exporters and makes it less costly for countries such as China and India to reduce their dependence on coal to meet their growing needs for electricity.

—Richard N. Cooper, Foreign Affairs
Thorough and well-cited, this book is a must-read for any student of global energy security, yet it is digestible to readers interested in understanding shifting geopolitics and international affairs.

—Joel Hicks, Globe Post
Grigas’s book reveals many insights into the often murky world of international natural gas trade. A real contribution to understanding this industry.

—Guy F. Caruso, Senior Advisor, Energy and National Security Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies
This book describes with convincing clarity the important changes taking place in the natural gas markets. Readers will welcome Grigas’s comprehensive analysis of the geopolitical linkages and the transformation of the balance of economic power between supplier and consuming countries that are currently much to the advantage of the United States.

—John Deutch, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
A thoroughly persuasive and penetrating investigation of the key political and market forces that transform the global gas sector.

—Suedeen Kelly, former Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
At a time when the natural gas business is experiencing fundamental changes and becoming increasingly a global industry, this book provides a comprehensive understanding of all the relationships that have driven the business to where it is today. It also provides the foundation for understanding the future evolution of the industry.

—Charif Souki, Chairman, Tellurian Investments
A penetrating exposition of how globalisation and geopolitical change are transforming the former playbook that allowed monopolists to dominate the gas industry.

—Jonathan Stern, Distinguished Research Fellow, Natural Gas Research Programme, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
The New Geopolitics of Natural Gas is a compelling and well-written study of the multiple revolutions that are transforming the global gas business. With every aspect of natural gas—supply, markets, demand, and technology—in motion worldwide, Agnia Grigas’s book is a timely guide to the geopolitical and strategic consequences.

—Thane Gustafson, author of Wheel of Fortune: The Battle for Oil and Power in Russia