The East Mediterranean is stormy (2)

*Full text can be read in OCIN Initiative;

http://ocininitiative.maeda1.jp/Jan2020EastMedEnglish.pdf

(Arabic Version)

(Japanese Version)

January 2020

Two gas pipelines by Israel/Cyprus and Russia/Turkey



In the 1970s and during the independence campaign after World War II, Greeks and Turkishs in Cyprus confronted over annexations with Greece. In 1974, Turkey invaded into the dispute island. Cyprus was divided into the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Since then, the three states, Greece, Turkey and the Republic of Cyprus, have been in tension with each other. All of the three states, on the other hand, are members of the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). Therefore, they have maintained some sort of political equilibrium throughout the era of the East-West conflict and the Detente.



The discovery of gas fields by Israel has spurred the development campaign in coastal countries of the Eastern Mediterranean. They are Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and Cyprus in addition to Israel and Egypt. Lebanon and Syria could not participate development campaign due to unstable politics and economy. Egypt has several gas fields offshore of the Nile Delta, but production is already in decline and its gas liquefaction (LNG) facilities are in excess.

In Cyprus, Italian energy giant Eni and French Total are designated as exploration contractors. At the same time, Turkey began exploration works offshore of Cyprus. Turkish government confronted with Cyprus government about the demarcation of concession area. (See figure)



So far neither Cyprus nor Turkey found a gas field of enough volume for commercial operation. As alternatives, they plan to build gas pipelines not only to import natural gas for domestic consumption but also to transfer the surplus to Europe in partnership with gas exporting countries. The one is East Med Pipeline by Israel, Cyprus and Greece. Another one is Turkish stream by Russia and Turkey.



Russia has three routes of natural gas pipeline to Europe. The first route is the onshore pipeline through the Eurasian continent, which has the old history. The largest onshore pipeline is via Ukraine. However, frequent gas price disputes between Ukraine and Russia made Russia to close the valve of pipeline. European countries, especially Germany, suffered from the stoppage of natural gas.

Nord stream 1, which is submarine pipeline under Baltic Sea connecting Russia and Germany directly, was constructed in 2012. Nord stream 1 contributed to change the fuel of power generation from coal or nuclear to natural gas in Germany. Natural gas is environmentally friendly to reduce carbon dioxide.



Ukraine-Russia relations have deteriorated furthermore over the territory of the Crimea. Russia decided to construct the third gas pipeline under the Black Sea as the joint venture with Turkey. (See figure)



(To be Continued----)





By Areha Kazuya

E-mail: Arehakazuya1@gmail.com