Lots of talk about the Nabucco pipeline lately. Out of curiosity, I started looking at some numbers.

"At the Budapest summit, delegates will discuss the most difficult issues surrounding the Nabucco plan: raising the estimated EUR 7.9 billion needed to build it, and securing the gas supplies – 31 billion cubic metres per year, or five per cent of the EU’s current requirements – to fill it."

31 BCM / year = 85 million cubic meters / day

Europe is currently getting 300 million cubic meters / day from Russia

Therefore, with the Nabucco, they still need an additional 215 cubic meters /day

According to the BOM analyst report from late last year, Exxons 'likely upper production target' for the Mako trough is 1 BCF / day by 2035. (Thats almost 3X Ultra Petroleums 2007 production)

1 BCF / day = 28 million cubic meters / day

So in short, according to the BOM analysts numbers, with both the Nabucco pipeline AND the Mako Trough, Europe will still be 187 cubic meters / day short.

They are going to need more pipelines, more BCGA's, and a couple of LNG ports.

Even Dr. Szabo's optimistic projections would only fill 1/2 of the Nabucco

""According to the plans, 15 billion cubic meter production per year will become a reality just in a few years and will change the outlook of the region."