Energy in Armenia which maintains a monopoly over Armenia's natural gas market. Gazprom wholly owns a crucial 24-mile section of the pipeline which Armenia surrendered in exchange for natural gas supplies from Russia at prices well below the European average until 2009. According to an analyst, Armenia "effectively bargained away its future prospects for energy sources in return for cheaper prices now." While Armenia could diversify its gas supply, with control of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, Gazprom now controls the competitors' supply. In 2009 Armenia was importing 1-1.5 million cubic meters of Iranian natural gas, paying for this by electricity exports. In 2010
Gazprom its sales to European customers. In 2008, the average gas price paid by Russian industrial customers was $71/mcm, while households paid $54/mcm. Since 2000, Natural gas prices have fluctuated. In late 2007, the price of natural gas at the New York NYMEX was 7,53 $ per MMBtu, at 26,4 m³ per MMBTU representing a price of $285 per 1000 Cubic metres. At the same time, based on their respective contracts with Gazprom, German customers paid (per cubic metre) $250, Polish customers $290, Ukraine customers $130 and Russian customers $49. Gazprom delivers gas to 25 European countries. Its main export arm