In 2014, Gazprom signed a 30-year agreement with the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) for annual deliveries of 38 billion cubic meters of Russian gas through the eastern route pipeline, formally known as the Power of Siberia.
"In case of interest from the Chinese side, we can increase the value of gas supplied along the route. However, the Chinese side admits that the currently agreed volume is sufficient to satisfy both existing and forecast demand for imports of Russian gas along this route," Markelov said in an interview published in Gazprom's corporate journal.
The Power of Siberia is scheduled to begin supplying gas sometime between May 2019 and May 2021, starting from 5 billion cubic meters per year and gradually rising. The pipeline, which is currently under construction, will span over 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) and will be serviced by nine compressor stations.
