MOSCOW, January 2. /TASS/. Gazprom increased gas production by 62.2 bln cubic meters in 2021 year-on-year to 514.8 bln cubic meters, the company’s CEO Alexey Miller said. This is the company’s record-breaking figure over the past 13 years.

Gas exports to non-CIS countries in 2021 increased by 5.8 bln cubic meters to 185.1 bln cubic meters, becoming the fourth largest in the history of Gazprom, Miller said.

At the same time, 15 countries increased purchases of Russian pipeline gas last year. The largest growth was provided by its largest consumers - Germany (+10.5%), Turkey (+63%), Italy (+20.3%), Miller added.

"The increase in Gazprom's production covered the lion's share of the growth in global gas consumption in 2021," said the head of Gazprom.

Also, from January 1, 2022, Gazprom reached a new level of gas supplies to China via the Power of Siberia pipeline, under a long-term bilateral sales and purchase agreement.

In 2021, Gazprom supplied the Russian market with the maximum volume of gas from the gas transmission system since 2013 - 257.8 bln cubic meters, CEO of Gazprom said. This is the highest level since 2013, he added. The growth compared to 2020 amounted to 31.9 bln cubic meters of gas.

By the end of 2021, Gazprom also expects to receive the maximum financial result in its entire history, as well as record dividends, Miller said.