It Don’t Mean a Thing, If It Ain’t Got That Swing: Why Gas Flexibility Is High on the Agenda for Russia and Europe

The question of flexibility is always important for the gas industry because of the seasonal nature of gas demand. In the past few years the role of flexible Russian gas in meeting Europe’s growing call on gas has been indispensable. This paper looks at how Russia meets its own flexibility requirements in the domestic market and whether peak domestic demand for gas in Russia can introduce constraints on seasonal export flow flexibility. It proceeds with analysis of the roles of seasonal production swings and gas withdrawals from storage in Russia and in Europe in covering seasonal demand peaks.

By: Vitaly Yermakov