Gazprom has begun filling the Power of Siberia gas pipeline with natural gas. This was announced at the first Oil and Gas Forum in Yakutia by the head of the republic, Aisen Nikolaev.
“Planned measures are beginning to displace nitrogen and fill the cavity of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline with natural gas. Today the filling of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline begins with gas. And on December 1, this world's largest pipeline project will be implemented, ”TASS reports the official.
Nikolaev also noted that the service system adjacent to the gas pipeline needs to be developed. In addition, he said, it is soon planned to gasify the region, especially its southern regions.
“There is another task that I set for the government of the republic and our companies - the development of gas processing, primarily for the production of gas engine fuel. I hope that by 2023 this production will already appear, its expansion will allow us to overcome dependence on the import of fuel, ”the head of Yakutia added.
“The Power of Siberia”, thus, contributes to the development of regions, told RT Director of the Energy Development Fund Sergei Pikin.
“For the regions this project is a blessing, it is new jobs, local contractors are also involved. Serving this gas pipeline is also necessary, therefore it is a positive factor both in terms of employment, and in terms of income, budget, and territorial development, ”the expert said.
In addition, the commissioning of the gas pipeline will help raise funds for the Far East, commented on the situation to RT Deputy General Director for Gas Issues of the National Energy Security Fund Alexey Grivach.
“Naturally, the arrival of gas in these regions will create a more attractive investment system,” says Grivach, “this already leads to the fact that funds are invested in the development of gasification, East Siberian gas is multicomponent, and liquid fractions will also be extracted from it, for export or further processing ".
Preparations for the launch of the Power of Siberia
In mid-August, it was reported that the Chayandinskoye field in Yakutia was connected to the Power of Siberia. A pipeline was connected to the gas deposits, connecting them with the general transport system of the gas pipeline. Then the operator company announced the imminent start of filling the Power of Siberia with gas from the field.
The Power of Siberia gas pipeline is designed to supply gas from Yakutia to the Primorsky Territory and countries of the Asia-Pacific region. In addition to the Chayandinsky gas pipeline also plan to connect with the Kovykta field in the Irkutsk region.
One of the main functions of the gas pipeline will be the delivery of gas to China. A supply contract was signed in 2014 between Gazprom and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). The contract was concluded for 30 years, its value is estimated at $ 400 billion.
- © gazprom.ru
Gazprom noted that the first gas pipeline deliveries to China will total 10 million cubic meters per day, with a subsequent increase in volumes. By 2025, the Power of Siberia will reach its planned capacity and will supply 38 billion cubic meters per year to the PRC, said Elena Burmistrova, deputy chairman of the Gazprom board.
It was planned to start deliveries on December 20, 2019, but this February the head of Gazprom Alexei Miller announced that they would be transferred to the first day of this month. According to him, such a decision is connected with “ahead of schedule” for the construction of the gas pipeline.
Cooperation with China
In March, Miller announced that the launch of supplies for the Power of Siberia in 2019 would usher in a “new era of energy cooperation” between China and Russia. He added that Russia under the contract will supply more than one trillion cubic meters of gas to China, and also spoke about the growth of Russian gas exports.
“For this large-scale project, we are creating new gas production centers. The volume of gas imports to China last year amounted to 126 billion cubic meters of gas and increased by 32% compared to 2017. The volume of gas imports will grow, ”the head of Gazprom said then.
The Power of Siberia, especially its Chinese direction, is an important Russian “geopolitical project,” Sergei Pikin believes. According to him, Russia will continue to develop this export direction in order to expand the number of partners in gas trade.
“This is a direction for gas supplies by pipelines. And it was planned that this would not be the last gas pipeline, that is, there will still be a continuation. The Altai gas pipeline was discussed. Gazprom’s geopolitical goal in this case is to diversify supply lines through pipelines, ”says the expert.
According to Pikin, cooperation with China in the oil and gas sector since the signing of the supply agreement has only intensified. In fact, it was the construction of the gas pipeline that initiated the further emergence of joint projects.
“Companies from China are part of our various projects related to oil production, oil refining, petrochemicals, and liquefied gas. Work every year only intensifies, and the volume of trade shows a positive trend. Investments are also growing in this direction. Therefore, in fact, the Power of Siberia was the starting point for the implementation of all these projects, ”the specialist notes.