(MENAFN) China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) Vice President, Xie Jun, has disclosed that Russian energy giant Gazprom is collaborating with China to fast-track the implementation of a new gas supply route known as the Far Eastern route. This initiative aims to deliver Russian natural gas to China from the offshore reserves near Sakhalin Island.
Speaking at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum, Xie Jun stated, “Our company and Gazprom are striving to build a closer energy partnership and are systematically accelerating the implementation of the gas supply project along the Far Eastern route.”
The collaboration between Moscow and Beijing was solidified in February with an agreement to enhance natural gas supplies to China via the Far Eastern route. This ambitious project includes the construction of a cross-border section across the Ussuri River, connecting the operational Russian pipeline to the Chinese city of Hulin. Once fully operational, this route will have the capacity to transport 10 billion cubic meters of Russian pipeline gas to China annually.
Presently, Russia fulfills its gas commitments to China through the Power of Siberia pipeline, a segment of the Eastern Route, in accordance with a 30-year bilateral agreement. Gas deliveries commenced in 2019, and the pipeline is anticipated to reach its full operational capacity of 38 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually by 2025.
As both nations deepen their energy cooperation, the intensified efforts to advance the Far Eastern route underscore their shared commitment to diversifying energy supply routes and strengthening their strategic partnership in the energy sector. This development is poised to have far-reaching implications for regional energy security and economic integration between China and Russia.
