voa标准英语2008-Russian PM: Era of Cheap Natural Gas is Ending

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warns that the era of cheap natural gas is ending because of multi-billion dollar investments needed to develop the industry.
　

Vladimir Putin speaks at a meeting of a dozen leading natural gas exporters who convened1 in Moscow, 23 Dec 2008

Speaking in Moscow at a meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum², or GECF, Prime Minister Putin said liquefied natural gas has become an expanding global business that requires construction of more liquefaction facilities and special terminals to transfer supplies. He says existing gas fields are being depleted³ and promising⁴ new ones are farther away from leading consumption centers. As a result, says Mr. Putin, expenses for exploration, extraction, and transport of gas are rising.

Mr. Putin says this means that despite well-known global financial problems and the economic downturn, and despite even lower energy prices, the era of cheap energy, including the era of cheap gas, is clearly coming to an end.

The Gas Exporting Countries Forum, founded in 2001, groups Russia and 13 other gas exporting nations, including Iran, Venezuela and Qatar. Norway and Equatorial Guinea have observer status. Its members say the forum discusses such topics as worldwide gas development, supply and demand, exploration, as well as production and transportation.

GECF members says they do not control gas prices the way OPEC influences the price of oil. However, the Bloomberg news agency quotes Venezuelan Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez as saying when the gas market is more developed worldwide, perhaps the GECF will have more instruments to regulate the market.

Natalia Milchakova, oil and gas analyst⁵ at the Otkrytia Financial Corporation in Moscow told VOA that gas producers cannot now control prices the way the OPEC oil cartel does, because pricing mechanisms⁶ for the respective energy resources are related to the means of delivering them. Gas, today is delivered mostly by pipelines⁷ based on long term contracts, while oil is transported in ships and can be withheld⁸ to increase prices. However, Milchakova says liquefaction allows gas to be transported like oil, which could change the situation.

The analyst says she does not exclude the possibility that the GECF can somehow influence market supplies and therefore prices, but notes that is not likely in the near future.

Meanwhile, Moscow continues to threaten Ukraine with a gas cutoff on January first if Kyiv does not pay off a $2 billion debt in full. This is the third year in a row that Russia has raised a debt issue at the height of winter. Most of Russia's gas exports to Western Europe run through pipelines in Ukraine. The Chairman of Russia's Gazprom energy company and First Deputy Prime Minister, Viktor Zubkov, did not rule out gas supply disruptions to Europe if Russia and Ukraine do not settle their differences.

1 convened   

召开( convene的过去式 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• The chairman convened the committee to put the issue to a vote. 主席召集委员们开会对这个问题进行表决。
• The governor convened his troops to put down the revolt. 总督召集他的部队去镇压叛乱。

2 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

3 depleted   

adj. 枯竭的, 废弃的 动词deplete的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Food supplies were severely depleted. 食物供应已严重不足。
• Both teams were severely depleted by injuries. 两个队都因队员受伤而实力大减。

4 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

5 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

6 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 pipelines   

管道( pipeline的名词复数 )； 输油管道； 在考虑（或规划、准备） 中； 在酿中

参考例句：

• The oil is carried to the oil refinery by pipelines. 石油通过输油管输送到炼油厂。
• The oil carried in pipelines. 石油用管道输送。

8 withheld   

withhold过去式及过去分词

参考例句：

• I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后，我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意，学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》