Russian Gas Output Breaks 18-yr Record: Novak
Russian gas output last year broke an 18-year record, with 725bn [Russian] m³ produced, energy minister Alexander Novak told the president, Vladimir Putin, January 10. But he also told Russia-24 TV December 25 that Russia would have produced a record 733bn m³ last year.
While demand has fallen in some markets at home and overseas over that long period, such as Ukraine, and imports from Turkmenistan have ceased altogether, it has risen in others; and the ramp-up of LNG exports has also required more gas.
Last year, official statistics put 2017 production volume at 690.5bn [Russian] m3, comprising 604bn m³ of dry gas and 86.5bn m³ of associated gas.
According to customs statistics, Russia exported overall 210bn m3 in 2017. Piped-gas exports monopoly Gazprom also put its 2017 export volume at 194.4bn Russian m3,which does not take account of LNG exports from its Sakhalin Energy project, which has been exceeding nameplate capacity. The energy ministry is due to release its 2018 gas report next week.
According to BP’s estimates, Russia exported 15.5bn m3 LNG in 2017. Its net piped-gas exports also reached 196.5bn m3.
BP’s data represents standard cubic metres (measured at 15°C and 1013 mbar) using a gross calorific value (GCV) of 40 MJ/m³. Russian cubic metres are measured under different conditions, making them fractionally less valuable on an energy basis.