Russia’s Energy Empire is About to Collapse - Permanently

Chapters

1. 0:00

   The Coming Winter Threat

   A cold Siberian winter threatens to freeze Russian oil pipelines, causing catastrophic infrastructure damage that could take decades and billions of dollars to repair.

2. 0:19

   The Failed European Strategy

   Russia's plan to use energy cuts as leverage against Europe failed because the EU sanctioned Russian oil and gas, replacing Russian imports with US supplies and nuclear energy.

3. 4:09

   The Loss of Profitable Markets

   India and China demanded steep discounts for Russian oil, turning Russia into an energy vassal with no profit, while Europe stopped importing the vast majority of it. If any part of an oil pipeline stops moving and freezes, it backs up throughout the entire pipeline, requiring replacement rather than simple repair.

4. 6:58

   The Lack of Storage Capacity

   Ukraine attacks on Russian oil storage facilities and refineries mean Russia has nowhere left to put its oil when it pulls it out of the ground.

5. 7:32

   The Dependency on Western Expertise

   Russia cannot fix its infrastructure on its own because a lot of the expertise comes from Western contractors and parts used to replace broken components. Without foreign help, Russia lacks the money to repair infrastructure; without repaired infrastructure, Russia lacks the money to pay for repairs.

6. 10:07

   The Inevitable Vassalage

   Russia's only real options for its future energy industry are to turn for foreign help to nations like China, becoming an energy vassal in exchange for subsidized prices.