ALGIERS (Reuters) - The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) should operate like oil exporters’ group OPEC in defending its members against low gas prices, Algerian Energy and Mines Minister Chakib Khelil was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

Gas importing countries, particularly in Europe, have expressed concern the GECF could drive up prices by acquiring the same influence over gas markets that OPEC has over world crude prices.
“The Gas Exporting Countries Forum should function like OPEC in its capacity as an organization which would defend the economic interests (of its members),” Algeria’s official news agency APS quoted Khelil as saying.
He said gas prices today were low and called on “the member countries to reach agreement on a strategy for obtaining a fair price for gas”, the agency reported.
Khelil did not go into detail about what this strategy would involve, saying only that members of the forum had not been sharing with each other data about their gas supply contracts.
“So far this objective has not been reached ... Each member country is keeping its long-term gas sales contracts very confidential, no one wants to reveal at what price he is selling his gas to the market,” he said.
The 11 member states of the gas exporters’ forum control more than three quarters of the world’s gas reserves and include Qatar, Russia, Iran and Algeria. The group is to hold its next meeting in Qatar on Dec. 9.
Some industry analysts have described it as the “gas OPEC.” But the way most gas is sold -- through long-term contracts -- limits the extent to which it can mimic OPEC’s practice of coordinating production levels among its members.
There is nevertheless pressure from some forum members for it to take a more assertive role.
Gas exporters have been fretting over sagging demand and the prospect that future prices will fall further because of lower gas imports to the United States and a glut of new production that is coming on stream elsewhere.
The International Energy Agency said in its annual World Energy Outlook published on Tuesday that low gas prices had undoubtedly given exporters a common cause, but it still doubts they can control prices.
“Shared concerns about price levels will surely grow in the face of the looming supply glut, with a large number of new LNG projects coming on stream in 2009-2013,” said the agency, which acts as an energy advisor to 28 rich industrialized countries.
“But it will be difficult for GECF countries to act collectively to improve their market position in the short term, as long-term gas supply contracts limit the ability of individual producers to control exports or prices.”