Russia's Gazprom signs deal with China to enlarge natural gas supplies

By Sibel Morrow

ANKARA (AA) - Russian energy giant Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) signed a deal to supply more natural gas to China via the Far Eastern pipeline, Gazprom announced in a statement on Friday.

This contract is the second signed between Russia and China, covering the planned supply of nearly 10 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas through the new pipeline connecting Russia's Far East with China's northeast as soon as the project reaches its full capacity.

This new agreement brings the annual gas supply from Russia to China to 48 billion cubic meters, some volumes of which are delivered via the Power of Siberia gas trunk line.

"This is already a second contract to be signed for Russian gas supplies to China, and it is indicative of the exceptionally strong mutual trust and partnership between our countries and companies. Our Chinese partners from CNPC have already seen for themselves that Gazprom is a reliable gas supplier," Alexey Miller, chairman of Gazprom, was quoted as saying in the statement.