Alexey Miller: In 2022, Gazprom steadily and efficiently worked for the benefit of Russia and its people
It is the number one task for the Company to provide reliable gas supplies to Russian consumers. As always, we accomplished the task with perfect confidence. According to the operational data, Gazprom supplied 243 billion cubic meters of gas from the gas transmission system.
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The Company is actively expanding gas infrastructure in Russian regions, and performs this work ahead of schedule for the second year in a row. The result of the efforts is that more and more people across Russia start using natural gas. Throughout 2022, we built gas pipelines to more than 450 localities, mainly rural ones.
What is especially important, we lay gas pipelines up to the boundaries of households free of charge. As a result, by the end of 2022, over 500,000 Russian families across localities that were already covered by the gas grid were provided with the possibility of getting their homes connected to natural gas – an eco-friendly, convenient and affordable energy source.
Of course, we have made thorough preparations for the winter with its peak loads. The Company filled up Russian underground gas storages to another record-high level of 72.662 billion cubic meters, so that our consumers could be sure that their homes will stay warm. And there is no doubt about that.
We also set another record important for our country. In 2022, the Gazprom Group paid more than RUB 5 trillion to the budgets of all levels.
As for our gas production, in 2022, Gazprom produced 412.6 billion cubic meters of gas. The Company's gas supplies to the countries beyond the FSU amounted to 100.9 billion cubic meters.
As is commonly known, the prospects of the global gas consumption growth are associated mainly with Asia and, primarily, with China; the Company is strengthening its positions in terms of gas supplies in said direction.
Gazprom is stepping up its gas exports to China via the Power of Siberia pipeline. In 2022, following China's request, the supplies were regularly performed in excess of our daily contractual volumes and, as a result, we exceeded our total supply obligations that were set out for said year. Moreover, also at the request of our Chinese colleagues, Gazprom as early as on December 31 – i.e. several days before the due time – started supplying gas in the daily volumes that were originally scheduled for 2023 in the respective contract. Therefore, on January 1, 2023, the Company entered a fundamentally new level in terms of gas supplies to China. This definitely characterizes Gazprom as a responsible supplier and reliable partner and also shows that China, which is the most promising gas market in the world, is interested in receiving Russian pipeline gas.
Our ongoing work in the direction of China also involves two promising routes: one stretching from the Far East and another running across Mongolia. We signed the contract with regard to the first route, and the second route is currently being elaborated. The aggregate amount of annual gas supplies via the three routes is about 100 billion cubic meters.
Gazprom has confidently entered 2023. We keep pursuing the planned targets and implementing our social commitments. We work for the benefit of Russia.