Turkmenistan supplied $9.6bn worth of pipeline gas to China in 2023, down from $10.25bn a year earlier, according to China's General Administration of Customs. Russia, Myanmar and Kazakhstan follow. Uzbekistan ranks fifth, with supplies almost halved to $563mn.
China receives Turkmen gas from the Bagtyyarlyk field (operated by CNPC under a production sharing agreement) and the Galkynysh field (controlled by Turkmengaz).
Deliveries began in December 2009, following the commissioning of a Chinese-built gas pipeline through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
China also buys LNG: Australia is the biggest supplier. It is followed by Russia. Beijing is trying to insulate itself from the unstable and expensive liquefied natural gas (LNG) market.
Experts told Daryo that a project to build a fourth branch (D) of the pipeline through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan is close to being realised in this regard. This would increase annual Turkmen gas supplies to 65bn cubic metres from the current 40bn cubic metres.
Eziz Boyarov
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