Gas price woes

UK gas consumers had a shock in November when spot prices suddenly increased five-fold. They remained high into last month. With nine years of net exports having come to an end in 2004 and North Sea gas production forecast to decline fairly rapidly, some say price spikes will be a continuing feature of the UK market. Others say large-scale imports, through infrastructure due to be completed this year and next, could help to restore price stability, Martin Quinlan writes