Russia and the Global Gas Markets with Tatiana Mitrova

The Flame Conference is now just weeks away!  Ahead of the 19th Annual Flame event, we get to know Tatiana Mitrova, Head of Global Energy at the Skolokovo Energy Centre, who gives us some of her insights on the natural gas industry

Tatiana will be presenting on the Russia and Global Gas market at Flame this March.  

You can download the full Flame Agenda here.

What’s keeping you busy at the moment?   

We are developing the new “Global and Russian Energy Outlook until 2040”. Last year we published the first Russian long-term vision of the global energy scene and our place on it. Now we are trying to look more in detail at the impact of the new technologies. It is really an amazing topic!

What do you see as the biggest challenge the natural gas industry currently faces?

I am afraid, the very price competitiveness of natural gas is seriously questioned now on several regional markets (except for North American). And assuming very high (and growing) costs of the new gas supply projects, it seems that cost control and efficiency should become major goals of the industry.

How do you see the industry evolving in the next 5 years?

Actually we do not have any other choice then to become more flexible, competitive and entrepreneurial.

What is the biggest innovation you have seen recently/hope to see in the natural gas industry?

I am a strong believer in decentralized generation and especially in the bright future of the micro- (individual) gas CHPs. This technology on the demand side could theoretically reverse the current trend of slowdown in gas consumption on the mature markets.

Which geographical region is going to be the most exciting for the natural gas industry moving forward?

Currently there are two game-changers on the gas market: the US (with shale revolution, booming gas cconsumption and potential massive LNG export) and China (with fantastic gas demand growth, shale potential and huge uncertainty in the future demand and supply volumes and prices). I suppose both of them will be quite exciting for experts.

Who do you most respect in the natural gas industry and why?

I have a huge respect for people who were creating gas industry in Russia in 1930-ies-1970-ies. I had a chance to talk to few of these giants – they were really incredible people with fantastic experience and creativity.

What are you most looking forward to at Flame in 2013?

I mentioned already two most fascinating regions – China and the US. Of course I will also look forward for European pricing discussion, the future of LNG, gas for transportation and… You better take a look at the conference program! It seems to be extremely interesting.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

By that time I was regarding only two options – to become a beautiful princess or a ballet dancer… J.

Dr. Tatiana Mitrova is responsible for analyses of the global energy markets development and the Russian Federation’s energy export and import policy. Between 2006-2011 Tatiana was Head of the Center for International Energy Markets Studies in Energy Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ERI RAS). Dr. Mitrova has sixteen years of experience in dealing with the development of Russian and global energy markets, including production, transportation, demand, energy policy, pricing, taxation and market restructuring.  Dr. Mitrova is also a member of the Russian Council on Foreign and Defense Policy.

To find out more about the 19th Annual Flame Conference, visit the Flame Website.