MOSCOW, June 17. /ITAR-TASS/. Sakhalin Region governor Alexander Khoroshavin said his province might produce up to 42 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year by 2020, as it has necessary production infrastructure and explored gas reserves.
"A whole cluster of companies will be formed within the next five years, from the production of fuels and their supply through pipelines and by marine transport for exports and gas infrastructure development in Russian regions to the building of gas-and petro-chemical enterprises in the Far East and eastern Siberia," the governor told a news briefing at the 21st World Petroleum Congress in Moscow.
Khoroshavin said Sakhalin had considerable advantages compared with other Far Eastern areas. "It accounts for 65% of oil and almost 90% of gas produced in the region, this is the key condition for boosting supplies of gas to countries of the Asia Pacific," he said.
Also, Sakhalin has good prospects on the market of liquefied natural gas (LNG). "It operates an LNG plant, the first in Russia which produces some 11 million tons of LNG per year," the governor went on. "We're now working on the construction of the third production line at that company and the construction of a new LNG facility."
Regional authorities are promoting these projects for Sakhalin's further integration in the Asia Pacific. "Their implementation will raise the share of Russia's LNG in world production from 4.5% to 11%," Khoroshavin said.