MOSCOW, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Russian energy company Gazprom is ready to deliver natural gas from Western Siberia to China if Beijing is ready to commit, a top executive said from Moscow.
Alexei Miller, the chief executive of Gazprom, joined members of the management committee in talks with Chinese officials on building the Altai natural gas pipeline.
Vladimir Putin, then the Russian president, lauded the importance of the project in 2006 and Gazprom signed a framework agreement on natural gas supplies with China National Petroleum Corp. in 2009.
"The Altai project is backed by Western Siberia's ample proven gas reserves that will enable to secure full loading of the gas pipeline in the amount of at least 1.05 trillion cubic meters a year over the project life cycle while gas supplies to Russia and Europe will remain intact," Miller said in a statement.
He said pipeline construction would start only after Chinese officials signed off on the deal. Gas supplies to China from Western Siberia could start moving by 2015 if all agreements are signed next year, he added.
Construction of the Altai pipeline is complicated by rough and sensitive terrain, though Gazprom said environmental projection would be "of immense importance" during the build.
