Reuters: European countries anxious to buy U.S. natural gas - report

European countries dependent on Russia for natural gas are forming a group to lobby Washington to loosen export restrictions so they can buy the fuel from the United States, according to a media report.

The National Journal reported on its website on Thursday that a dozen countries, most of them in eastern Europe, are working with a Washington firm on a lobbying coalition with U.S. energy companies.

Two trade groups, America's Natural Gas Alliance and the American Petroleum Institute, were helping form the coalition, called LNG Allies, to seek greater access to natural gas from the United States for these countries, the report said.  

Countries likely to participate include Austria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia and Greece, the Journal reported. MORE