Gas club seeks more clout, but not yet an OPEC - Reuters

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Gas club seeks more clout, but not yet an OPEC

By Barbara Lewis and Simon Webb
1 hour, 37 minutes ago

DOHA (Reuters) - Leading gas powers on Monday took a small step
towards setting up an OPEC-style group, but sought to reassure
consumer nations it was business as usual for now.

The Gas Exporting Countries Forum, at its first meeting in two years,
decided to establish a group of experts to study how to strengthen
the previously toothless organization.

"In the long term we are moving towards a gas OPEC," Algerian Energy
and Mines Minister Chakib Khelil said. "It will take a long time."

-snip-

The study group, chaired by the world's leading gas exporter Russia,
will look at factors including pricing, infrastructure and the relationship
between producers and consumers, ministers said.

It will report back to the gas forum's next ministerial meeting in Moscow
in 2008.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070409/bs_nm/gas_producers_dc_4