For companies who buy electricity from the open market fixing prices is of no use either since new year’s price negotiations are based on the average price of the previous year.

• August 23, 2011

China should accelerate the pace of its exploration for shale gas and other unconventional natural gas to cut emissions and reduce its increasing dependence on imported fossil fuels, experts and industry players said. China now relies more on imported oil than the United States.

• August 23, 2011

Turkmen President Gurbangulu Berdimuhammedov instructed the finalization of a draft General Program for the Turkmen Energy Sector Development for 2011-2020, an official Turkmen source reported on Monday.

• August 22, 2011

Russia has pledged to help India join the Nuclear Suppliers Group.Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov received Indian Ambassador to Russia Ajai Malhotra on Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on its website.

• August 22, 2011

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Il meets Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Siberia this week for rare talks expected to focus on energy cooperation, Pyongyang's nuclear programme and hunger in the isolated Communist state.

• August 22, 2011

Issue 7: June-July 2011

A Snapshot Of Key Developments In The External Relations Of The Russian Gas Sector

This year, Gazprom is likely to report an income of about $60 billion from the export of 158 bcm of gas to Europe, according to expert estimates. This represents a 12 percent growth in income compared to the previous year and, according to Alexander Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Gazprom’s Board of Executive Directors, the company’s profits will be close to the record-breaking levels of 2008, when its income from exports reached $65 bn. READ MORE

• August 21, 2011

Turkmen President Gurbangulu Berdimuhammedov approved the main directions of development of the country’s industry region Lebap that gained a strategic importance in recent years.

• August 20, 2011

Belarus potash miner Belaruskali will not take out a $2 billion loan from German lender Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE: Quote) and Russia's Sberbank , Russian and Belarus news agencies cited its general director as saying.

• August 20, 2011