voa标准英语2008-Russian PM: Era of Cheap Natural Gas is Ending
时间：2019-01-13 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2008年(十二月)
Vladimir Putin speaks at a meeting of a dozen leading natural gas exporters who convened 1 in Moscow, 23 Dec 2008
Speaking in Moscow at a meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum 2, or GECF, Prime Minister Putin said liquefied natural gas has become an expanding global business that requires construction of more liquefaction facilities and special terminals to transfer supplies. He says existing gas fields are being depleted 3 and promising 4 new ones are farther away from leading consumption centers. As a result, says Mr. Putin, expenses for exploration, extraction, and transport of gas are rising.
Mr. Putin says this means that despite well-known global financial problems and the economic downturn, and despite even lower energy prices, the era of cheap energy, including the era of cheap gas, is clearly coming to an end.
The Gas Exporting Countries Forum, founded in 2001, groups Russia and 13 other gas exporting nations, including Iran, Venezuela and Qatar. Norway and Equatorial Guinea have observer status. Its members say the forum discusses such topics as worldwide gas development, supply and demand, exploration, as well as production and transportation.
GECF members says they do not control gas prices the way OPEC influences the price of oil. However, the Bloomberg news agency quotes Venezuelan Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez as saying when the gas market is more developed worldwide, perhaps the GECF will have more instruments to regulate the market.
Natalia Milchakova, oil and gas analyst 5 at the Otkrytia Financial Corporation in Moscow told VOA that gas producers cannot now control prices the way the OPEC oil cartel does, because pricing mechanisms 6 for the respective energy resources are related to the means of delivering them. Gas, today is delivered mostly by pipelines 7 based on long term contracts, while oil is transported in ships and can be withheld 8 to increase prices. However, Milchakova says liquefaction allows gas to be transported like oil, which could change the situation.
The analyst says she does not exclude the possibility that the GECF can somehow influence market supplies and therefore prices, but notes that is not likely in the near future.
Meanwhile, Moscow continues to threaten Ukraine with a gas cutoff on January first if Kyiv does not pay off a $2 billion debt in full. This is the third year in a row that Russia has raised a debt issue at the height of winter. Most of Russia's gas exports to Western Europe run through pipelines in Ukraine. The Chairman of Russia's Gazprom energy company and First Deputy Prime Minister, Viktor Zubkov, did not rule out gas supply disruptions to Europe if Russia and Ukraine do not settle their differences.
- The chairman convened the committee to put the issue to a vote. 主席召集委员们开会对这个问题进行表决。
- The governor convened his troops to put down the revolt. 总督召集他的部队去镇压叛乱。
- They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
- The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。
- The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
- We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。
- What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
- The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。
- The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The oil is carried to the oil refinery by pipelines. 石油通过输油管输送到炼油厂。
- The oil carried in pipelines. 石油用管道输送。