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Gas producers to form committee to assess market
AFP
DOHA
Petroleumworld.com 04 10 07
The world's top gas producers meeting in Doha on Monday said they would create a committee led by Russia to assess the "market situation" of the industry following talks about forming an OPEC-like cartel, the Qatari energy minister said.
"We have agreed to form a technical committee headed by Russia to assess and evaluate the market situation and other related matters to the gas industry," Abdullah al-Attiyah told reporters.
The agreement followed a meeting of delegates to discuss the possibility of a cartel.
But Russian Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko, whose country is to host the next ministerial meeting of top gas producers, told reporters he believed the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) should remain unchanged.
"The GECF should continue existing as such and should keep up its transparent and cooordinated position towards consuming countries," the minister said.
He said the GECF would however examine gas prices. "We agreed to launch a joint study on this issue (pricing of gas), and Russia is prepared to be the one who organises such a study," he said.
The GECF, founded in 2001, groups 15 of the world's gas-rich nations, including Russia, Iran, Qatar and Algeria, which together hold more than 70 percent of reserves and over 40 percent of production.
AFP 09 1256 GMT 04 07
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