Integration of gas markets : Europe and beyond.

Summary The liberalization and globalization of natural gas markets have accelerated research on market integration. This thesis provides a deeper understanding of the issues and mechanisms involved. We study gas market integration at three levels: local (within a country), global and mixed. First, we clarify the definition of integration and identify the methodologies used to assess it. Then we examine the impact of a political decision to merge gas balancing zones on the French market by applying spatial equilibrium theory. We continue by analyzing the integration of gas markets at the global level. Finally, we explore the internal and external markets of Russia, an exporting country whose gas sector is in the process of liberalization. We investigate the progress of reforms and their impact on its export strategy.