Niki Cutts explains the divergence of supply and demand in the LPG market

US shale exploration has resulted in the increased supply of LPG, which is of keen interest to Niki Cutts, who has taken an interest in more environmental forms of energy for years. This surge resulted in an 8% increase in US production in 2012 and 4% in the Middle East, typically from gas processing plants. Largest increases in consumption were in the Asia Pacific region, fueled by increased economic activity and population growth. Conversely in mature markets such as Europe, there was a drop in demand arising from economic stagnation.

However, supply is exceeding demand. As new production facilities are opened around the world, this situation will become more apparent. It is for the industry to ensure that LPG is used in its widest applications.

Niki Cutts was a co-author for an energy management report for the Financial Times and has been developing a career in energy ever since.

Insites into the rise of shale gas: comments by energy specialist Niki Cutts

Like Niki Cutts, others can see the increase in controversy surrounding the extraction of shale gas.

Development of the shale gas market, spurred on by relaxation of environmental policy changes in the US by President Bush has facilitated the way for other countries to seek their own domestic supplies of shale gas. However, this is controversial as there are conflicting reports about the environmental impacts caused when extracting the gas. One of the main concerns is the pollution to the water supply.

Whether or not these concerns are accurate, the terrain of the US is unlike that of Europe as the former is much less densely populated than the latter. Thus extraction may prove to be much more expensive and controversial than in the US. Protests in the United Kingdom have so far halted experimental shale gas exploration.

Niki Cutts is the Managing Director of Castleward, located in Prague, Czech Republic, www.castleward.eu.

Hi, I'm Niki Cutts and this is my new blog!

An entrepreneur in search of adventure, I relocated to Prague nine years ago.

I spend my days running international trading companies and I want to share some of my experiences in business with you.

Hope you enjoy reading!

Niki :-)