The production capacity of the LNG plant of Sakhalin-2 project (Prigorodny, southern Sakhalin) may be increased up to 15 million tones of LNG a year, Interfax reports citing the Sakhalin governor Alexander Khoroshavin speaking at a press conference with journalists.

"The plant for liquefied natural gas (LNG) is working quite effectively. In 2010 it should reach its full capacity (9.6 million tons of LNG per year) and it is able to break through. We can build the third and fourth phase and to boost the plant’s capacity up to 14-15 million tones of LNG a year. There are those who would be willing to buy the gas", the regional top official was quoted as saying.

If the 3, 4 phases are completed, the governor said, the trunk gas pipeline throughput will allow a additional “run-through” of gas from the north-eastern shelf of the island to Prigorodnoye.

The LNG plant started operating on February 18, 2009, processes the gas produced at Sakhalin-2 project, which is delivered via the 800-km pipeline to Prigorodnoye in southern Sakhalin.