Within the framework of the IMEMO’s Oil and Gas Dialog Forum BP's chief economist Christof Rühl presented BP Energy Outlook 2030 to the audience of the Russian academics It was stressed that the outlook’s ‘base case’ reflects a ‘to the best of our knowledge’ assessment of the world’s likely path from today’s vantage point, drawing on expertise both within and outside the company. The outlook highlights the growing role of developing economies in global energy consumption, and the increasing share of non-fossil fuels in global energy supply. It emphasizes the central role markets and well-designed policy can play to meet the dual challenge of solving the energy needs of billions of people who aspire to better lifestyles, and doing so in a way that is sustainable and secure. It also notes the uncertainties attached to any long term projection. The discipline of building a numerical projection sharpens our thinking, but the precise numbers are less important than the underlying story of the challenges we all face and the choices we make in producing and consuming energy. To read the report please click EGF or BP

• February 8, 2012

Turkmenistan has reduced its gas exports to Iran due to very cold weather in Central Asia but there have been no supply problems yet, the head of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) said. In a statement posted on the NIGC website on Monday, NIGC Managing Director Javad Owji said no Iranian city had so far experienced any disruption in gas supply because of the reduction in Turkmen gas exports. He did not quantify the cut. Iran exports gas to Turkey when it can but relies on Turkmenistan to supply the extra gas it needs during cold winter months for heating.

• February 6, 2012

The breach among the Permanent Five members of the U.N. Security Council in Saturday’s vote on Syria’s increasingly bloody power struggle could have profound implications for Syria’s immediate future.

• February 6, 2012

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has met in Damascus with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, amid continuing violence between Syrian government forces and antiregime militants.

• February 6, 2012

Turkey's gas imports from Azerbaijan and Iran tumbled on Tuesday due to technical problems in both countries, Turkish officials said, slashing supply to the country of 75 million people as it faces growing pressure to meet high winter demand.

• February 6, 2012

Amidst increasing pressure from the US to reduce its dependence on Iranian oil, India on Tuesday said its ties with Tehran is neither inconsistent with non-proliferation objectives nor is in contradiction with its relationships with the West.

• February 6, 2012

Russia's supplies of natural gas to Bulgaria and neighbouring Greece, Turkey and Macedonia are back to normal, Bulgaria's economy and energy ministry said on Saturday.

• February 4, 2012

The flow of natural gas has fallen off sharply in the main pipelines supplying Europe from Russia, but this time cold weather — not politics — is to blame.

• February 4, 2012