The State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted in the third reading at its October 18 session a law that allows the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from a site located north of 67 degrees north latitude, the laws and regulations website said.
According to the Russian Gas Society, an example can be given, in particular, of the fields of PJSC NK Rosneft and its subsidiaries. This is about the projects such as Taimyr LNG (Vostok Gas) - a large-scale LNG plant with a capacity of 22.5 million tons per year, based on the northern resources of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Yamalo-Nenets District with a volume of up to 4 trillion cubic meters of gas; Kara-LNG is a large-capacity LNG plant with a capacity of 22.5 million tons per year, based on the existing reserves and resources of gas from the Kara Sea.
The Russian Geographical Society also cites the words of the Chairman of the State Duma Energy Commission, responsible for promoting the bill, Pavel Zavalny, who noted that the adoption of the norms contained in the document will make it possible to achieve the target for LNG production by 2035 at the level of 80-140 million tons.
PortNews has earlier reported that the State Duma adopted the bill in the first reading in May 2023, and in the second reading on October 17.
Changes are being made to Articles 2 and 3 of the Federal Law “On Gas Exports”. As the Russian Ministry of Energy explained earlier, restrictions are now being introduced on the use of the resource base for the production and export of LNG, which leads to the monetization of large reserves operating in territories significantly removed from the unified gas supply system. The bill takes into account the plans of companies with state participation to create a large gas production center and grants the right to export LNG in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug).
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin noted that this decision will increase annual LNG production volumes to 100 million tons in the next seven years.
The bill also removes the operation of LNG bunkering ships from the scope of the Law on Gas Export. This will stimulate the use of LNG as bunker fuel, which is more environmentally friendly alternative fuel for sea and river shipping, the explanatory note says.