Gazprom reports 13% bump in exports in 2021
Russia's Gazprom increased gas supply to countries outside the former Soviet Union by 13.1% in the first nine and a half months of this year to nearly 152bn m3, the company said on October 18.
Gazprom said it was supplying gas at close to its record rate. The company has expanded shipments to Turkey by 125.3% in the year up to mid-October, Germany by 28.2%, Italy by 16.3%, Romania by 288.6%, Serbia by 112.1%, Bulgaria by 52.7%, Poland by 10%, Greece by 12.9% and Finland by 15.3%, it said.
European gas demand has surged this year on the back of economic recovery and colder weather, while global supply remains constrained, pushing prices at European gas hubs to record highs. Gazprom has faced criticism for not sending enough gas to ease the supply crunch, although how much production capacity it has spare is unclear.
"Gas supplies to China through the Power of Siberia gas pipeline are growing," Gazprom said, without disclosing figures. The company started pumping gas to China in December 2019 and supplies are set to reach 38bn m3 annually within a few years.
Gazprom increased production by 16.6% in the first nine and a half months of the year to 399.4bn m3. The company also delivered 16.6% more gas to the domestic market during the period, it said. Russian demand has been higher this year because of cold weather, economic recovery and low hydroelectric power supply, according to Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Novak.