Natural gas resembles oil in fulfilling a wide variety of uses as both a source of energy and a feedstock, but the proportion of world production that is traded internationally is very much lower, and insufficient for a world price of gas to be established. This book addresses the issues of how the economic price of gas is determined. These are illustrated with estimates of the costs of exploration and production of gas, and of the benefits to be derived from its use in various economic sectors for a number of Third World countries.

The Economics of Natural Gas in Developing Countries provides information pertinent to the utilization of natural gas in developing countries. This book examines the potential domestic uses of natural gas as well as its export possibilities. Organized into 13 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the policies that provide adequate incentives for gas development in order to maximize the availability of gas for domestic uses. This text then examines the worldwide demand and supply of natural gas. Other chapters consider the requirements for gas-trade projects, which consists of a substantial market in the importing region and a significant gas reserve in the exporting country. This book discusses as well the differences between oil and gas development in terms of cost, marketing, technology, and government regulation. The final chapter deals with the significant potential for natural gas. This book is a valuable resource for economists, engineers, and engineering consultants.

I remember that the idea of this book emerged ?rst in Toulouse, during the Third Conference on Energy Markets – 3 years ago now. Anna Cret` ? gave a talk on a model dealing with seasonal gas storage in the USA, and Christian Von Hirschausen was her discussant. Both of them were devoting their efforts to understand the natural gas market in Europe and the relevant liberalization process. I found their interest in storage rather original, so I encouraged Anna to collect the most original cont- butions on this topic. Back in Milan with this idea in mind, she organized a working group at IEFE- Bocconi University, where she works. Then, during the following year, she - changed ideas and organized several meetings with the book’s contributors. She regularly invited the most important Italian gas sector representatives to these me- ings, to make sure that the economic models were well suited to tackle the issues at stake in the European gas industry.

Originally published in 1987 this book presents a comprehensive survey of the global natural gas industry: it looks at the problems of supply, the pattern of demand, the economics of the industrya nd how the industry in the 1980s was being affected by changes in other energy sectors. As a key commodity in the world economy the supply of natural gas is increasingly affecting and changing international relations between importer and supplier countries: the siberian natural gas pipeline which supplies Soviet gas to Western Europe is a key example of the impact of natural gas on international relations and one which is discussed in the book.

This book discusses and explains the economics of each stage of the natural gas value chain, including the economic impact of restrictions, rules and decisions that are ostensibly technical in nature, as well as commercially relevant contractual stipulations. Each chapter features several real-world examples illustrating the essential points. Natural gas is broadly considered the (leading) conventional source of primary energy. Complementing renewable energies’ utilization and offering a highly flexible yet relatively clean fuel, the worldwide natural gas markets are expected to grow. Despite the fact that Europe – where a degree of stagnation in natural gas consumption is being observed and is expected to continue – is not following this trend, international natural gas markets are becoming increasingly interdependent. Therefore, any analysis and discussion of natural gas markets at each level has to have an international rather than national focus.