October 25, 2022 [Reuters] – Russian energy giant Gazprom (GAZP.MM) said on Tuesday it has started testing the supply of gas from the Kovykta field, the largest in east Siberia, to the China-bound Power of Siberia pipeline.

Gazprom started delivering gas from the Chanayda field to China at the end of 2019. Both Chanayda and Kovykta feed the Power of Siberia pipeline which has a nameplate capacity of 38 billion cubic metres (bcm) per year.

The pipeline is crucial to Moscow’s efforts to reroute its energy flows from the West, where governments have imposed sweeping sanctions against Russia following the start of what the Kremlin calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Gazprom said Kovykta and new gas transportation facilities are expected to come onstream in December.

Gazprom exported 4.1 bcm of gas to China in 2020, rising to around 11 bcm in 2021 and expected to reach 22 bcm in 2023.

Earlier this month Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said the Power of Siberia will reach full capacity in 2027, two years later than planned.

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