Russia’s LNG production hits record high

The country has been ramping up output despite Western sanctions, official statistics show

Production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Russia increased by 8.1% last year to a record 32.5 million tons, the Federal Statistics Service Rosstat reported on Wednesday.

Data showed that in December the figure was down by 4.8% compared to the same month in 2021, at 2.8 million tons. It was 0.4% higher than in November 2022.

According to the report, 11.5 million tons of LNG was produced at the plant of the Sakhalin-2 project.

The statistics service said the main reason for the record production was a reduction in the volume of repairs in 2022, after large scheduled maintenance work was carried out in 2021.

According to Rosstat, LNG production in Russia in 2021 amounted to about 30.1 million tons, and in 2020 the figure was 1.1% higher, at 30.5 million tons.

Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak said earlier that the country boosted LNG exports in 2022 by 8%, to reach 46 billion cubic meters.

READ MORE: Russian LNG shipments to China skyrocket

In Russia, large-tonnage LNG is traditionally produced by Sakhalin Energy plants (owned by Gazprom, Mitsui and Mitsubishi), as well as Novatek’s Yamal LNG plant in the Arctic.

Liquified natural gas is also produced by Gazprom's medium-tonnage plant at the Portovaya compressor station located on the Russian coast of the Baltic Sea.

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