You know, the world has a LOT of nat gas. The real problem is getting it to market, not really getting it.
The real issue with Russia is that it is geographically able to deliver gas via pipelines, and it has, creating an effective monopoly.
This is a problematic condition. This is not a “golden goose”. Its a classic case of becoming dependent on a single source for essential fuel - and that is also a matter of Europeans foolish whimsies, but that’s another issue. Under such circumstances one is subject to unfortunate “leverage”.
This is all a huge malpractice of governance. Decades of it, counting the “green” policies. Now the Euros have to turn on a dime to make up for decades of foolishness. But they are getting there, IMHO. A bit of this and a bit of that, in a society with immense resources.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/19625111/putin-burning-gas-energy-bills-soar/
Russia has been flaring off $10 million USD natural gas daily. Last year this gas would have gone to Germany via Nord Stream One.
Russia’s NG assets are spread in an incredibly wide network of pipelines across western Russia. This makes their resources very sturdy and redundant. Hit a facility here or there, no big deal. Terrestrial pipelines are easy to repair.
Europe, minus NS, is screwed. There simply are not enough LNG facilities to replace the NS pipelines. The UK gets, I’ve read, one LNG tanker a day, and it HAS to get that tanker, or they go from “depression level” to “survival level” very fast.
An LNG facility is VERY easy to take out in a way it cannot be repaired/replaced for years.
Glass houses/stones.