### Russian Natural Gas Prices Depend on Global Gas and Oil Prices
Russian natural gas prices are influenced by global gas and oil prices. The main international benchmarks for gas prices are as follows (Henry Hub - USA, TTF - Netherlands).
1. **Henry Hub (USA)**
- Current price: Increased to $3.1 per million BTU (British Thermal Units) on Friday.
2. **TTF (Europe)**
- Current price: Increased to $392 per 1,000 cubic meters.
### Natural Gas in the USA
The benchmark price for natural gas in the United States is set at the Henry Hub storage facility in Louisiana.
### European Gas
European gas trading primarily takes place on European gas hubs, with the largest being the Dutch TTF Natural Gas Exchange. This Dutch exchange leads the European gas market due to its trading volume, which exceeds the internal gas needs of the Netherlands by more than 14 times. Approximately 20 trillion cubic meters of gas are traded annually on this platform.
Russian gas prices, particularly for export markets, have traditionally been heavily dependent on oil-indexed pricing. However, they are now more closely aligned with spot markets and competitive mechanisms, although a correlation with energy prices remains.
Global gas pricing mechanisms are diverse and include:
- **Exchange trading** (competitive pricing, such as on TTF in Europe)
- **Oil-indexed pricing** (linking gas prices to oil prices)
- **Regulated prices** and direct contracts, where prices are determined by the balance of supply and demand, influencing global benchmarks including gas prices and the cost of alternative fuels (gas, oil, coal).
This overview was presented by Alexey Grishchenko, Doctor of Economics, Professor at the Department of Operational and Sectoral Management of the Faculty of "Higher School of Management" at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.