| The natural gas market in Europe |
| With more than 50,000 km of gas pipelines, Europe's natural gas transmission system is one of the densest in the world. But where does gas come from? How long will reserves last? And what is the consumption trend? Below, you will find a number of frequently asked questions as well as links to other sources of information. |
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1. What is natural gas?
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| Natural gas is a primary energy present in the natural environment and useable without additional processing. It has no odor, is highly flammable and is non-toxic. It consists of methane (between 80 and 99%) and light hydrocarbons such as ethane, propane and butane, as well as additional components such as carbon dioxide, depending on where it is from. (Its high energy level makes it one of the most efficient sources of energy. When combusted, natural gas produces far fewer pollutant emissions compared to other fuels. An essential benefit for the environment.) |
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2. Where are the world's main reserves?
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| Natural gas reserves are fairly well distributed among all continents. The largest gas fields in the world are found in western Siberia with an estimated 48,000 billion cubic meters. The two largest fields alone hold exploitable reserves of 7,000 billion cubic meters of natural gas each. In Western Europe, the main sources of natural gas are found off the coast of Norway (Troll gas field, around 1,300 billion cubic meters) and the Netherlands (Groningen gas field). |
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3. What are the world's natural gas reserves for the future?
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| The world's proven natural gas reserves were an estimated 140,000 billion cubic meters at the end of the year 2000 : a volume sufficient enough to supply the world population with natural gas (at the current rate of consumption) for approximately 60 years. If we add exploitable resources that cannot be currently exploited for financial or technological reasons (gas hydrates, for instance), there is enough to last 170 years. |
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4. How much natural gas is consumed worldwide?
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| Global consumption of natural gas was 2,689 billion cubic meters in 2004. That same year, the European market consumed 458 billion cubic meters. The United Kingdom and Germany took the lion's share, consuming nearly 100 billion cubic meters each. According to estimates, global consumption should increase to approximately 4,850 billion cubic meters by 2030. |
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5. What is the European natural gas network?
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| The European interconnected natural gas network stretches from the North Sea and Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the Atlantic to Eastern Europe. It consists of networks owned by European gas companies. These systems are interconnected via connection points. The network has more than 50,000 kilometers of gas pipelines in Western, Central and Eastern Europe. In some cases, the gas travels more than 5,000 kilometers from where it is extracted to where it is consumed. |
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6. What is LNG (liquefied natural gas)?
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| When its temperature is lowered to -161°C, natural gas liquefies taking up 1/600th the volume it does in its gaseous state. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) makes it possible to transport very large quantities of energy over long distances in specially designed cargo ships known as tankers. A single cargo carried by a high-capacity tanker (130,000 cubic meters) is enough to supply a town of 20,000 for one year. When it reaches its port of destination, the LNG is regasified in special terminals and injected into the natural gas network. Today, LNG accounts for nearly one quarter of the international natural gas trade. |
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7. How is the gas sector organized in Europe?
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- The transmission system operator (high-pressure gas pipelines).
- Operators of distribution networks (generally the former inter-municipal companies) transmit natural gas to end customers and operate local distribution networks.
- Suppliers of natural gas. Since the market was liberalized, most customers are now free to choose their supplier. Some suppliers offer natural gas to all categories of customer while others focus on a particular segment.
- Regulators, active at different levels, oversee the correct operation of the liberalized market.
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| International information |
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