Title: Europe's Strategic Dependence on Russian Energy | The Heritage Foundation
Headings: Europe's Strategic Dependence on Russian Energy
Europe's Strategic Dependence on Russian Energy
Ariel Cohen
Director, CENRG and Senior Fellow, IAGS
Energy Dependence on Russia
Implications for European Energy Security
Policy Implications for the United States
Authors
Ariel Cohen
Subscribe to email updates

Content: 7] Rising demand indicates that Europe's dependence on Russian energy will continue to grow. Russia has the largest proven natural gas reserves (1,688 trillion cubic feet) and the seventh-largest proven oil reserves  (60.0 billion to 74.4 billion barrels) in the world, [8] and large areas of eastern Siberia and the Arctic are still unexplored. Total Russian net oil exports reached 7 million barrels per day in 2006. [ 9] Chart 1 and Chart 2 show the current and projected increased levels of Russian oil and gas exports. Russian Energy Strategy and Tactics
Russia's energy strategy seeks to make Europe increasingly dependent on Russian oil and gas. The Kremlin has advanced this strategy through a series of policies. It creates dependency by locking in demand with energy importers, consolidating the supply of oil and gas by signing long-term contracts with Central Asian energy producers, and securing control of strategic energy infrastructure in Europe and Eurasia. This includes extending the Gazprom monopoly and attempting to create an OPEC-style gas cartel. [ 10] At the August 2007 summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the presidents of Kazakhstan and Russia called for establishment of an "Asian energy club" to expand energy ties among the member states, including creation of a unified energy infrastructure to serve as the basis for a common energy market. [ 11]
Locking in Demand.