Miller reports new daily record for gas deliveries to China, continued growth in exports

MOSCOW. Dec 29 (Interfax) - Gazprom continues to increase gas deliveries to China ahead of new contract volumes going into effect in line with the schedule for boosting supplies, Gazprom head Alexei Miller said during a pre-New Year conference call.

"We made a decision that in December 2022 we will supply gas to China in excess of our daily contractual obligations. The maximum excess was 18.7%. And today we will set another new record for daily deliveries to China," he said.

"We have put the Kovykta field into operation. We have put a new linear section of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline, Kovykta-Chayanda, into operation. And now the Power of Siberia gas pipeline is operating along its whole length, more than 3,000 kilometers," Miller said. This is the "largest engineering and industrial infrastructure complex in the world, which includes production, transport and processing facilities," he said, adding that it is the only one of its kind in the world.

Gas from Kovykta and Chayanda contains valuable components, including helium, Miller recalled. Kovykta gas is transported to the Chayanda field, from which point gas flows from the two fields are mixed and run to Amur Region, where Gazprom is building a gas processing plant, he said.

"And despite any difficulties, despite any obstacles that our 'opponents' try to create for us, the status of the plant's realization is now 87.86%. And, most importantly, we are completely covering our objectives for gas supplies to China under the 30-year contract. And we're going without stopping. We are very intently and carefully ensuring compliance with all obligations that we have under the 30-year contract, staying ahead," Miller said.

Russia began supplying gas to China through the Power of Siberia pipeline from the Chayanda field in Yakutia at the end of 2019. The Kovykta field in the Irkutsk region is being connected to the pipeline's supplies in December.

Supplies are due to be ramped up to 38 billion cubic meters per year in the first five years. Gazprom supplied 10.39 bcm of gas to China via the pipeline in 2021, exceeding contracted figures by 390 million cubic meters. Supplies are expected to total 15 bcm in 2022 and 22 bcm in 2023.

Supplies of gas have been reaching new contract levels since January. Gazprom also regularly reported an increase in volumes a year ago in the run-up to a new planned increase.