Russian gas exports collapsed by 25.1% in 2022, weighed down by international sanctions, while those of oil increased by 7.6% over the same period, the Deputy Prime Minister announced on Monday. Russian in charge of Energy.
The collapse of gas exports is due “to the refusal of European countries to buy Russian gas, as well as to the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines”, indicated Alexander Novak in an article published on the specialized Russian site ” energy policy”.
This announcement comes after nearly a year of conflict in Ukraine and a rain of international sanctions that have targeted the Russian energy sector to limit Moscow’s revenues intended to finance its military offensive. The European Union, once the largest customer of Russian gas, has radically reduced its imports during the year 2022.
In total, Russian gas exports “decreased by 25.1%, to 184.4 billion cubic meters”, for a total production “of 673.8 billion cubic meters”, specified Mr. Novak.
The Russian Deputy Prime Minister, however, was pleased “to see the potential for growth in gas supply to the Asia-Pacific region”, led by China, to which gas deliveries passing through the “Force of Siberia”, in the Russian Far East, “grew by 48% and reached an all-time high of 15.4 billion cubic meters” in 2022.
Although the Europeans have virtually stopped importing Russian gas by pipeline, they continue to buy lesser quantities of liquefied natural gas, from numerous Russian reserves and transported by sea on LNG tankers. Its worldwide exports “increased by 7.9% last year”, to 45.7 billion cubic meters, noted Mr. Novak on Monday.
On the black gold side, Russia increased its oil exports by 7.6% in 2022, to 242 million tonnes, despite the European embargo and the export price ceiling imposed since the beginning of December by the European Union, the G7 and Australia. Particularly energy-consuming countries, India and China greatly increased their demand for Russian crude oil last year – benefiting from significant discounts and the reorientation of Russian strategy towards Asia – as did Turkey, For example.
“This year, it is expected that we will deliver more than 80% of oil exports and 75% of oil products to ‘friendly countries’,” Novak said on Monday.