Thursday 28 May 2009

Gazprom "Cuts The Gas"! We Were Warned ...

Russian Energy Policy – The Musical



Back in February, the Russian gas monopoly Gazprom gave us all a chuckle by threatening “cuts in European exports if gas demand slumps”. Well, they’ve been as good as their word, because, as the Times reports, Gazprom now plans to


reduce natural gas output by up to 18 per cent this year due to falling demand from recession-hit countries

That’ll teach us ! Coincidentally,

The company gave no reason as to why it had further reduced its dividend

For those unaware of gas industry basics, there is a very distinct limit to the amount of gas storage available, and it all gets filled up every summer anyhow. You either leave it in the ground, or flare it off; and even the Russians aren’t too keen on the latter these days.

So – gather round and feast your senses on the video-clip above!
A genuinely hilarious contribution to understanding energy policy, courtesy of one of those splendid Russian military choirs.

ND

5 comments:

Demetrius said...

What fun, great sense of humour those Russian chaps have. I recall the winter of 1955-1956 in north Germany, two months snow and freezing below zero. All the rivers were solid ice, and could take large trucks and light military vehicles. We had big heaps of coal then. Now they all rely on gas.

Elby the Beserk said...

After seeing that, all one can say is

Bring back the Iron Curtain. Quick.

Eric Morecambe - eat your (capitalist) heart out.

Judy said...

They have some serious revenge issues. and they will get their payback

Nick Drew said...

Demetrius - yes, you'll have gathered, we're quite well-disposed towards coal around these parts.

High-tech coal, of course!

Elby - Eric M used to do some business with a Curtain, as I recall: a hand used to emerge from behind it and grab him by the neck ...

Who says the Russkies don't have a sense of humour, eh ? And maybe some issues too, Irina - but they're pussycats really (and quite hard-up)

Sebastian Weetabix said...

The Russians acting in their own interests! How shocking.

Loved the clip though - magnificent choir. It reminded me of working with some Russians back in 1991 just after the wall came down. They have a sense of humour & irreverence virtually identical to ours (they also have an equally well developed sense of their own innate superiority, in contrast to the evidence around them , just like our good selves). They were really great fun. They also told me a brilliant joke: "how do you know if a Russian is an optimist, a pessimist, or a realist?" Answer: "the optimist is learning German & English, the pessimist is learning Chinese, & the realist is buying a Kalashnikov."