Global Public Policy Institute
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20 March 2009
GPPi publishes new Policy Paper on the geopolitics of LNG
GPPi has published a new Policy Paper, authored by Roman Kupchinsky (Partner with AZEast Group) entitled “LNG – A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing?” The paper is being published in the Policy Paper series of GPPi’s Global Energy Governance Project.
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) has been touted by some as the new silver bullet for for countries overly dependent on pipeline gas deliveries from potentially unreliable producing countries. At the same time, LNG has also been vilified as a vehicle which might facilitate the cartelization of the price of gas and raise it to unjustifiable levels. LNG has also been denounced by critics as being a potential weapon of mass destruction in the hands of terrorists bent on inflicting catastrophic damage to heavily populated cities where LNG tankers dock. Finally and most significantly, LNG has been depicted as a powerful geopolitical weapon, a factor which is destined to become even more important in the coming decade.
In this Policy Paper, Roman Kupchinsky provides an assessment of this debate. He addresses the question whether LNG will bring greater security by creating large scale gas supplies not reliant on pipelines and turn gas into a fungible commodity; or whether, in contrast, LNG will become another weapon in the hands of unstable producer regimes and nationalist leaders determined to implement their political agendas via LNG tankers.
To download the paper, please click here.