Moscow has revised its gas strategy repeatedly since western sanctions were placed on Russia last year after it invaded Ukraine, and it is counting on Asia as an export destination to replace the loss of Europe’s 150 billion cubic meter (Bcm) market.

The Russian government revised pipeline export targets last month to increase deliveries to eastern markets to 170  Bcm/year by 2030, following a March revision to nearly triple liquefied natural gas exports to 100 million metric tons per year by 2030.

How difficult it will be for Russia to increase natural gas exports in the future “depends how far ahead you are looking and where,” said Jonathan Stern, a senior research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. 

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