Turkmenistan exported $5.85 billion worth of pipeline gas to China in January-July period of 2023, an increase of 10 percent compared to the same period last year, Russia’s TASS news agency reported on Sunday with reference to the General Administration of Customs of China.
The General Customs Administration does not provide data on physical volume of this energy source imported by China.
Thus, Turkmenistan remains the key exporter of pipeline gas to China. The second major pipeline gas supplier of China is Russia, with its deliveries totaling $3.94 billion, an increase of almost two times compared to the same period in 2022.
The other major suppliers of pipeline gas to China are Myanmar ($861.81 million), Kazakhstan ($614.32 million), and Uzbekistan ($295.3 million).
Turkmenistan currently exports natural gas to China via three pipelines passing along the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China route. The pipeline system is capable of transporting 55 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas a year, with majority of the supplies provided by Turkmenistan and the rest provided by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
The agreement on the construction of the fourth branch of a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to China was agreed in February 2022. It’s commissioning is expected to allow Turkmenistan to increase its annual gas deliveries to China by up to 65 bcm.
In 2022, Turkmenistan exported $10.25 billion worth of pipeline gas to China, an increase of 51 percent compared to the same period of 2021.