Russia and coal to set European tone
Gazprom's market share ambitions and the price at which power plant demand soaks up supply are 2019's key questions
European gas prices moved substantially lower in the fourth quarter of 2018 as predictions of a global LNG oversupply ending up in its "sink" market finally showed signs of coming true. With the potential for more of the same in 2019, much focus is on what support levels the European price can find. The benchmark Ice TTF front month futures contract was just below the €22/MWh (c.$7.50/mn Btu) mark at the beginning of August 2018, although this still reflected price inflation through the first four months of the summer, from levels only just above €18/MWh at its start. The final two months of the summer saw a step-change, though, as the contract shot up to a high of above €29.20/MWh, north of
Also in this section
16 January 2026
The country’s global energy importance and domestic political fate are interlocked, highlighting its outsized oil and gas powers, and the heightened fallout risk
16 January 2026
The global maritime oil transport sector enters 2026 facing a rare convergence of crude oversupply, record newbuild deliveries and the potential easing of several geopolitical disruptions that have shaped trade flows since 2022
15 January 2026
Rebuilding industry, energy dominance and lower energy costs are key goals that remain at odds in 2026
14 January 2026
Chavez’s socialist reforms boosted state control but pushed knowledge and capital out of the sector, opening the way for the US shale revolution
