Novatek leads the advance of Russian LNG

摘要

Russia's LNG industry is set to take a significant step forward in 2017, although this step will be made not by Gazprom but by one of its emerging competitors, Novatek. The Yamal LNG project is set to come on line by the end of the year, providing Russia's first new LNG output since the Sakhalin 2 project sent out its first cargo in 2009. Gazprom is also planning some progress next year, with a plan to take a final investment decision (FID) on the third train at Sakhalin 2 and, possibly, to also confirm the development of Baltic LNG in the west. However, the constant delays and postponements that have marked Gazprom's LNG strategy to date suggest that it is more likely that Novatek will become the leader of Russia's LNG strategy over the next decade.