Gas giants dodge the issues

The exporters concurred there was a need for further talks but that a formal debate would not be on the agenda, Reuters reported.

"The only specific objectives we have are co-operation, communication, information exchange and consensus building," said Algerian oil minister Chakib Khelil, host of the second ministerial meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).

The GECF was formed last May and has 13 members that hold 73% of global gas reserves and handle 63% of the world's natural gas exports.

"The world is paying a lot of attention to gas," said Qatari Oil Minister Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah. "Growth in gas is faster than any other alternative form of energy."

Two initial GECF recruits - Norway and Turkmenistan - dropped out, leaving Iran, Algeria, Indonesia, Brunei, Russia, Qatar, Oman, Nigeria and Malaysia as the remaining founding countries.

Khelil hailed the arrival of four newcomers as a mark of the forum's success. "One of the biggest achievements of this meeting is the participation of new countries - Venezuela, Bolivia, Egypt and Libya," he said.

The GECF meets agains early next year in Qatar.