Russia's position as a major energy supplier has great significance not only for its foreign policy but for its relationships with major energy consuming countries. The nature of Russia's future geopolitical role in world energy markets has become a major concern of international energy security with important implications for Europe, Japan and the United States. Given a range of economic and geopolitical uncertainties, the fate of Russian and Caspian natural gas exports remains a major risk factor in global energy supply. In this study, researchers examine several scenarios for Russian and Caspian oil and natural gas production, possible export routes, and the geopolitics involved.
