Azerbaijan, Baku, 18 February / corr. Trend D. Khatinoglu/ The establishment of a gas OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) will lead to the monopolization of the export of this kind of fuel and a rise in its prices, Bijan Bidabad, a professor of Teheran Economic University said to Trend over the telephone. The establishment of a gas OPEC was first initiated by Iran.
"As Iran and Persian Gulf countries have a positive attitude towards the establishment of a gas OPEC the realization of this plan seems realistic. Russian is not expected to intervene in the plan in the near future, but the establishment of a gas OPEC is unavoidable," Bidabad said.
A charter of the organization of leading gas exporters, an international organization built up on the principles of the oil OPEC is expected to be introduced at the Forum of Gas Exporting Countries meeting to be held in June 2008 in Moscow. The charter of the new organization will fully correspond to the charter of the oil OPEC.
The United States opposes the establishment of the gas OPEC and says that its establishment will create problems both for producers and consumers. It is likely to lead to a dramatic rise in gas prices.
Russian experts say that the possible establishment of the gas OPEC cannot affect world gas prices. Timur Khairullin, an analyst at Antanta Capital said to Trend that there is no need to speak about the regulation of prices within the framework of the establishment of a gas OPEC as yet. Only a few countries will deal with the direction of gas and its volume of export. "Only five gas exporters (Russia,Iran and CIS countries) will coordinate the direction of gas," Khairullin said.
According Batunin, analyst of the Alfa Bank investment company, the establishment of the gas OPEC in short-range outlook is impossible.
According to the analyst, in order to establish the organization it is necessary to hold auctions as in the case of oil-loading cargos. "Currently there is not enough free gas all over the world to hold those kind of auctions," Batunin said.
The Forum of Gas Exporting Countries was first assembled in 2001 in Teheran. The forum does not posses a charter. The countries taking part in the forum include Algeria, Bolivia, Venezuela, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Qatar, Lybia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago and Equatorial Guinea.