Transatlantic natural gas price and oil price relationships - an empirical analysis

Markets for natural gas in industrialized countries have witnessed profound changes in the past two decades. Trade of natural gas at spot markets in North America and Europe expanded and intensified significantly as a direct result of liberalization efforts. We test the relationships of weekly prices for crude oil and natural gas on either side of the Atlantic Basin between 1999 and 2005. Applying co-integration methodology we identify a move toward integration of historically and geographically separated markets for the homogeneous commodity natural gas. (authors)