Gazprom begins supplying gas from Kovykta to Power of Siberia pipeline for commissioning, start-up under load

MOSCOW. Oct 25 (Interfax) - Gazprom has begun supplying gas from the Kovyktinskoye field to the Kovykta-Chayanda gas pipeline, part of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline system, for commissioning and start-up under load, the company said in a statement.

"In December of this year, following the completion of commissioning and start-up operations, the Kovyktinskoye field and new gas transmission capacity will be put into operation. A powerful complex will be created for producing and transporting gas in Eastern Siberia and the Far East. It will provide an impetus for more efficient economic development in the east of our country, and for increasing supplies to foreign consumers, such as China," the company quoted Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller as saying.

"In accordance with the plan, the supply of gas from the Kovyktinskoye field began today for commissioning and start-up under load at LNG processing unit No. 2 (UKPG-2) of the Kovykta-Chayanda section of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline," Gazprom said.

"Power of Siberia is an unprecedented infrastructure project in Russia in the 21st century. Power of Siberia's total length has increased to 3,000 kilometers," Miller said.

UKPG-2 is one of the key facilities for the development of the Kovyktinskoye field. The unit is designed to clean and dry the gas produced, after which gas prepared to the required parameters is sent to the main gas pipeline. During commissioning, the gas field and gas pipeline section's technological systems and equipment are tested in various operating modes.

The field's recoverable gas reserves amount to 1.8 trillion cubic meters and gas condensate to 65.7 million tonnes. The planned design capacity is 27 bcm of gas per year. With its launch, the resource base in the east of the country for gas supplies to Russian consumers and for export is expanding significantly, Gazprom said.

Gas supplies to China from the Chayandinskoye field in Yakutia began at the end of 2019. The Kovyktinskoye field should be connected to the pipeline in the coming months.

The gas supplies are due to be ramped up to 38 bcm per year in the first five years.

Gazprom supplied China with 10.39 bcm of gas along the Power of Siberia pipeline in 2021, 390 million cubic meters more than the contract stated. Planned supplies are 15 bcm in 2022 and 22 bcm in 2023.