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This is the second long-term sales and purchase agreement for Russian pipeline gas supplies between Gazprom and CNPC. It was highlighted that the work within the project is proceeding in line with the schedule agreed by the parties.
Gazprom's representatives also informed their Chinese colleagues about the progress of design development works for the Soyuz Vostok gas pipeline to supply Russian gas to China across Mongolia. The companies agreed on the dates for scheduled maintenance work on the Power of Siberia gas pipeline in spring and autumn 2023.
The meeting of the Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) was moderated by Vitaly Markelov and Elena Burmistrova, both Deputy Chairmen of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Huang Yongzhang, Vice President of CNPC.
Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Roman Sklyar and chairman of the board of Russian energy giant Gazprom Alexey Miller have signed an agreement on a project roadmap for the processing of Kazakh natural gas in Russia, Expat Guide Turkey reported, citing the Kazakh prime minister. Kazakh natural gas would reportedly be processed at the Orenburg natural gas processing plant in Russia. Orenburg is located near the Kazakh-Russian border. The report did not specify the volume of natural gas Kazakhstan hopes to process in Russia and whether that gas would be meant for domestic consumption or export.
9.1.2 Automotive sector news
Car sales in Russia collapsed by 58.8% in 2022 to 687,370 units, the Association of European Businesses (AEB) said on January 12, as the sector continues to make a slow recovery from a collapse following the start of the war in February. (chart) Production of cars in Russia almost completely halted in the summer months as the sector came to a screeching halt. Most of the major international producers suspended operations and many of them have since exited the country.
Russian producers were also forced to severely restrict production after the parts they depended on of which many are imported ceased to arrive due to self-sanctioning by the European Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
However, as the M&A deals were done and new suppliers of parts were found, production began to slowly recover in the second half of the year, although it remains well below the levels of previous years.
December’s sales figures are a case in point with sales down by half from a year earlier, but the total number of sales in the month were up by almost 20,000 to 64,072, according to AEB, the second-best month in the post-war period. Only March did better with 78,900 sales but even that was down from the 114,349 sales in February, the last normal month of the year. (chart)
123 RUSSIA Country Report February 2023 www.intellinews.com