Russia seeks to ban Exxon gas exports to Asia

MOSCOW

Exxon signed a preliminary agreement in 2004 to supply 8 billion cubic metres (bcm) of Sakhalin-1 gas to China’s CNPC but it has also held talks with Japan and India, which want to import Sakhalin’s gas as liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Russia’s Gazprom, which has monopoly right to export Russian gas, asked the government in June to block the plan saying it would create shortage on the Russian domestic market.