Turkmenistan’s deliveries of pipeline gas to China in January-February 2022 totaled $1.44 billion, a 1.47-fold increase 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.
Thus, Turkmenistan remains the major exporter of pipeline gas to China. The second major pipeline gas supplier of China is Russia, with its deliveries totaling $526.9 million. The other major suppliers of pipeline gas to China are Myanmar ($224.6 mln), Kazakhstan ($105.1 mln), and Uzbekistan ($48.4 mln).
Australia was the leading supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to China in January-February of this year.During the period, this country shipped 4.24 million tons of LNG worth $3.57 billion to China.
Other major LNG suppliers of China are Qatar (3.53 million tons worth $2.32 billion), Malaysia (1.77 million tons worth $1.87 billion), Indonesia (789,000 tons worth $746 million), Russia (664,000 tons worth $503 million) and the US (517,000 tonns worth $665 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.
In February, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of China Xi Jinping agreed on construction of the fourth branch of a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to China. It’s commissioning is expected to allow Turkmenistan to increase its annual gas deliveries to China by up to 65 bcm.
Turkmenistan exported around 34 bcm of natural gas to China last year.