Russia's Gazprom Keeps Believing in LNG Dreams

摘要

State-controlled Russian natural gas giant Gazprom has reaffirmed its LNG ambitions, with plans to expand the Sakhalin-2 facility and build a new Baltic LNG plant still on track, although questions linger over both projects. Gazprom believes expansion of the already operational 9.6 million ton per year Sakhalin-2 (1.2 billion cubic feet per day of gas) in the Russian Far East, the company's priority project, and construction of the two-train 10 million ton/yr Baltic LNG plant by 2021 are both viable. It had also planned to build another LNG plant in the Far East, Vladivostok LNG, but shelved the project last year. LNG is a strategic direction for Gazprom, especially as the company seeks new business in Asia. Gas exports should be a combination of pipeline gas supplies and, if economically feasible, LNG deliveries, Gazprom Deputy Chief Executive Alexander Medvedev said at a briefing last week.