Spain, Algeria, Morocco, yet another spat about gas

[joluoto]

Algeria threatens to scrap gas contract with Spain amid tensions with Morocco​

So Algeria and Morocco has never really got along well, but still Morocco used to buy gas from Algeria, because well, Algeria is a neighbor that has gas, and they don't. There is a pipeline from Algeria that goes through Morocc to Spain, with Spain being an important customer for Algerian gas. Since a few months back another diplomatic spat between Algiers and Rabat caused Algeria to stop providing any more gas for Morocco. Recently Spain allowed reverse flow through the pipe, basically Spain sells some of the gas they bought from Algeria back to Morocco. This has caused Algeria to now threaten to stop selling gas to Spain.

 

[joluoto]

So Spain was spooked and backtracked.

Spain seeks to calm Algeria after threat to cut natural gas supplies

 

[joluoto]

When you think something was over.... it turns out things are never over. Algier is still outraged, recently unilaterally suspended a friendship treaty with Spain and another gas blockade might be in the cards. If Algeria stops delivering gas to Europe (and various EU members are hoping to buy more Algerian gas), then the European Union might end up with a real gas problem.

Will Spain face a gas crisis as Western Sahara conflict flares up?​