The myth about the “oil and gas needle” of Russia has been debunked
Russia should not give up the opportunity to make money from oil and gas exports, especially since other industries are quite developed in the country.
Konstantin Simonov, Director General of the National Energy Security Fund and Professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, stated this, according to a PolitNavigator correspondent , in response to a question about whether Russia is further addicted to oil and gas by building new gas pipelines.
“There is no gas or oil needle! This is a myth that must be abandoned. The word “needle” suggests that we are sitting “on the stove” and preserving our backwardness. Isn't there anything else being done in the country other than producing hydrocarbons? We don't have a digital industry? Mechanical engineering?
It’s stupid to have the opportunity to make money from oil and gas exports and not take advantage of it. There is nothing wrong with us selling hydrocarbons. Does this prevent other industries from developing? Look at the economic indicators of Ukraine, which is not on the ropes, and compare with Russia. And the questions will disappear,” Simonov told Komsomolskaya Pravda.
He also does not agree that the Russian Federation will be a loser with its pipes due to the whole world’s transition to wind and solar energy.
“Over the past 10 years, the demand for all hydrocarbons has only increased. The world is using more and more energy. They have already tried to implicate us in this stupidity. They said that no one needed oil and there would be nothing but biofuel. How did it end? The United States doubled its production and began to squeeze Russia out of export markets while we were listening to these tales,” the publication’s interlocutor emphasized.
He noticed that in Norway half of the cars are electric cars, but in terms of per capita oil they produce there is 4-5 times more than in Russia.
“Everyone says that there will be a “green world,” but they don’t forget to pump oil,” the author noted.
At the same time, he agrees that there is more and more talk about green energy.
“But we are faced with some kind of directly religious advancement of this picture of the world. They are trying to get us hooked on this forecast so that we voluntarily fold our paws and stop producing oil and gas. Oil has been buried dozens of times already. But she's alive. Humanity needs energy. And the “green world” cannot cope with this yet.
Promoting green energy is like communism: they promised to build it by 1980, but it never came. And let’s not do anything stupid and kill the industry that feeds us all for now,” Simonov concluded.
Russian version :: Read in English: The myth of Russia's "oil and gas needle" debunked