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This article provides a critical overview of the key commercial, technical, legal, and political challenges the Eastern Mediterranean region faces in regard to the development of its natural gas resources and proposes possible ways to overcome them. To that aim, it first gives an up-to-date overview of the upstream developments in the region. It then discusses the challenges facing the monetization of the gas discoveries by looking at both the commercial challenges hampering exploration and field development and the technical challenges involved in exporting the gas to the immediate and distant markets. While examining the legal and political challenges related to maritime delimitation and political alignments, it highlights the role of gas. Finally, it offers some possible ways to overcome those challenges.

This report analyses the key energy factors and trends shaping the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region's energy landscape. The unsustainable increase in energy demand, driven by population and economic growth, is exerting considerable pressure on governments in the region to institute significant policy changes and demand-side measures as well as energy mix diversification (with a current energy mix that is heavily dependent on fossil fuels – mainly oil and natural gas). Should the increase in energy consumption rates persist in the future, many ountries will see their export capacities (and eventually revenues) reduced as more energy is destined for domestic consumption. The US shale revolution is also having an impact on oil and gas prices. Low oil and gas prices as well as growing role of LNG in world gas markets have an impact on the MENA region's export markets, including effects on the chemical and petrochemical industry. In order for the countries in the region to fulfil their economic growth aspirations and move quickly to a more sustainable energy system, efforts should be intensified to diversify their energy mixes, especially through developing and deploying renewable energy on a wider scale.

On the basis of an econometric model developed in Fatih Birol's An Economic Energy Demand Model for Turkey in Transitional Period from Traditional to Industrial Stage (dissertation, Technical U of Vienna, 1989), the projected energy needs of Turkey in 2004 are calculated. Prospects for meeting this demand given the need to respect environmental constraints are considered in a multiple criteria decision-making approach, geared toward developing a multiple objective clean electricity production model for Turkey. Results indicate that a much smaller proportion of Turkey's energy needs will have to be met by lignite & other coal-based power plants than predicted by the Turkish Electrical Authority, while a larger proportion is assigned to hydroelectric & natural gas plants. 1 Table, 2 Figures, 17 References. A. Levine