<p>Russian gas exports to countries outside a group of former Soviet republics plunged by 45.5 per cent in 2022, figures from gas giant Gazprom showed on Monday.</p>.<p>Gazprom said in a statement that exports outside the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) totalled 100.9 billion cubic metres compared to 185.1 billion in 2021.</p>.<p>Europe was previously Gazprom's main export market but supplies have been drastically reduced because of sanctions following Russia's offensive in Ukraine in 2022.</p>.<p>Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said the company had been steadily increasing supplies to China during the year but did not give details on the quantities.</p>.<p>"From January 1 we are on a fundamentally new level of gas supplies to China," Miller said in the statement.</p>.<p>President Vladimir Putin last month inaugurated the Kovykta natural gas field in eastern Siberia that will allow Russia to increase its exports to China.</p>.<p>Russia does not have pipelines to transport gas from its Western Siberian and Arctic gas fields -- which have served Europe -- to China.</p>.<p>But Russia began efforts around a decade ago to develop new fields and build the Power of Siberia pipeline to deliver to the rapidly expanding Chinese market.</p>.<p>The first Power of Siberia pipeline went into operation and began to ship gas from eastern Siberia to China at the end of 2019.</p>.<p>Moscow plans to build a Power of Siberia 2 pipeline.</p>.<p>At a conference last week, Miller admitted Gazprom had had a "very, very difficult" year.</p>.<p>Miller noted a "total change in the energy markets" driven by sanctions in response to Putin's decision to send troops to Ukraine.</p>.<p>Gazprom accounts for 11 per cent of the global natural gas production and has the largest gas reserves in the world.</p>
<p>Russian gas exports to countries outside a group of former Soviet republics plunged by 45.5 per cent in 2022, figures from gas giant Gazprom showed on Monday.</p>.<p>Gazprom said in a statement that exports outside the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) totalled 100.9 billion cubic metres compared to 185.1 billion in 2021.</p>.<p>Europe was previously Gazprom's main export market but supplies have been drastically reduced because of sanctions following Russia's offensive in Ukraine in 2022.</p>.<p>Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said the company had been steadily increasing supplies to China during the year but did not give details on the quantities.</p>.<p>"From January 1 we are on a fundamentally new level of gas supplies to China," Miller said in the statement.</p>.<p>President Vladimir Putin last month inaugurated the Kovykta natural gas field in eastern Siberia that will allow Russia to increase its exports to China.</p>.<p>Russia does not have pipelines to transport gas from its Western Siberian and Arctic gas fields -- which have served Europe -- to China.</p>.<p>But Russia began efforts around a decade ago to develop new fields and build the Power of Siberia pipeline to deliver to the rapidly expanding Chinese market.</p>.<p>The first Power of Siberia pipeline went into operation and began to ship gas from eastern Siberia to China at the end of 2019.</p>.<p>Moscow plans to build a Power of Siberia 2 pipeline.</p>.<p>At a conference last week, Miller admitted Gazprom had had a "very, very difficult" year.</p>.<p>Miller noted a "total change in the energy markets" driven by sanctions in response to Putin's decision to send troops to Ukraine.</p>.<p>Gazprom accounts for 11 per cent of the global natural gas production and has the largest gas reserves in the world.</p>