Russian Minister of Energy Nikolai Shulginov discussed the implementation of high-priority energy projects in the Arctic.

According to Shulginov, the Ministry of Energy is evaluating the efficiency of LNG plant construction projects in the Arctic. These projects include modifying the Eastern Gas program to consolidate gas deposits and to expand gas distribution networks.

“The program modifications are designed to supply more gas to the east Siberian and Far Eastern regions, regardless of the foreign economic situation,” Shulginov said.

The Power of Siberia pipeline has created opportunities for exporting gas to China under specific contracts, as well as gas distribution to the eastern regions in the coming decades. The concerned officials are now discussing the construction of the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline with a connector line to the Sakhalin-Khabarovsk-Vladivostok pipeline.

The Minister of Energy also said Russia would become a leading nation with cutting-edge technology for developing hard-to-extract oilfields. In 2022, the country launched a project to create an innovative thermo-chemical process for developing unconventional oil-bearing seams.

“This unique technology promotes import substitute and will increase exports while developing hard-to-extract deposits,” Nikolai Shulginov noted.