Russian gas exports to countries outside a group of previous Soviet republics plunged by 45.5% in 2022, figures from gas giant Gazprom revealed Monday.Gazprom said in a declaration that exports outside the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) totaled 100.9 billion cubic meters compared to 185.1 billion in 2021.

Europe was previously Gazproms main export market but products have actually been significantly decreased because of sanctions following Russias offensive in Ukraine in 2022.

Gazprom head Alexei Miller said the business had been gradually increasing products to China during the year but did not give details on the amounts.

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1 we are on a basically brand-new level of gas products to China, Miller said in the statement.President Vladimir Putin last month inaugurated the Kovykta gas field in eastern Siberia that will permit Russia to increase its exports to China.Russia does not have pipelines to transfer gas from its Western Siberian and Arctic gas fields to China.But Russia began efforts around a years back to establish new fields and build the Power of Siberia pipeline to deliver to the quickly expanding Chinese market.The first Power of Siberia pipeline went into operation and started to ship gas from eastern Siberia to China at the end of 2019.

Moscow plans to construct a Power of Siberia 2 pipeline.At a conference recently, Miller admitted Gazprom had had a extremely, extremely tough year.Miller noted a overall modification in the energy markets driven by sanctions in reaction to Putins decision to send out troops into Ukraine.Gazprom represent 11% of the global gas production and has the biggest gas reserves in the world.