Russia is looking to expand its energy partnership with China, with Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak announcing in Beijing on Tuesday that Moscow sees opportunities to increase oil exports and enhance cooperation on liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies.
Since Russia initiated its military action in Ukraine in February 2022, China and India have emerged as the primary purchasers of Russian oil.
Specifically, China’s daily imports of Russian oil are significant, totaling about 1.4 million barrels via sea and an additional 900,000 bpd transported by pipeline, according to a Reuters report.
US sanctions target Russian companies
In a significant escalation of international economic pressure, the US, last month, imposed comprehensive sanctions targeting two of Russia’s most prominent and largest energy companies: Rosneft and Lukoil.
These measures were specifically introduced against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical tensions and are designed to severely constrain Russia’s ability to finance its operations by targeting its critical oil and gas sector.
Sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil aim to disrupt their access to international finance, technology, and services, impacting their production and export capabilities.
This US action, utilising economic tools in response to geopolitical events, is expected to affect global energy markets, potentially causing fluctuations in oil prices and supply chains as the operations of these key producers are restricted.
Denouncing the sanctions as an unfriendly act, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed their potential to significantly impact the Russian economy while simultaneously emphasising Russia’s critical role in the global market.
Despite conflicting information regarding the future of Russian oil deliveries to China and India, Russia’s total crude exports have remained relatively stable to date.
Long-term strategic commitments
During a Sino-Russian business forum in Beijing, Novak announced that Russia and its Chinese partners are discussing the potential for increasing Russian oil exports to China.
We see prospects for increasing oil supplies via pipeline routes and by sea.
The terms for oil supply to China through Kazakhstan, as outlined in intergovernmental agreements, could be extended for a decade, continuing until 2033, according to Novak.
This potential extension highlights the strategic energy partnership between Russia and China, utilising transit infrastructure through a key Central Asian ally.
The long-term nature of this commitment underscores the stability of future oil flows.
According to the Russian government, he subsequently met with Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang.
Novak was quoted as saying at the meeting:
Russia is a reliable supplier of oil and gas to China. We will continue to actively work on expanding energy cooperation as a key area of partnership between the two countries.
Russia and China are increasingly collaborating on the production and export of sea-borne liquefied natural gas (LNG).
China has significant investment in Russian LNG projects, with state energy giant CNPC holding a 20% stake in the Yamal LNG plant and the Silk Fund owning 9.9% of the Novatek-led project.
However, Russian LNG exports have been hampered by US sanctions imposed over the situation in Ukraine, particularly those targeting the new Arctic LNG 2 plant, which have severely restricted the availability of the tanker fleet for fuel transportation.
China took delivery of its inaugural LNG shipment from the sanctioned Russian project in late August, just days prior to a scheduled meeting between President Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Novak stressed the crucial importance of continuing, despite external challenges, to collaboratively establish the necessary conditions for the execution of joint projects.
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