Russia turns to China with landmark gas pipeline

Synopsis

The Power of Siberia gas pipeline, stretching 3000 kilometers from gas fields in Russia Siberia to the Chinese border, represents a significant energy project with major implications for Russia-China relations. Construction began in 2014 on this $55 billion initiative, which is set to facilitate gas shipments worth an estimated $400 billion over 30 years, starting in December 2019. The pipeline, built and operated by Russia's state-owned Gazprom, is designed to navigate challenging terrains, including swamps, forests, and permafrost, while also facing extreme temperature variations from over 30 degrees in summer to below minus 50 in winter. Workers face additional hazards, such as potential bear attacks, as they assemble and install the pipeline, which consists of 12-meter long sections. By the end of 2017, Gazprom reported that the project was ahead of schedule, with a third of the pipeline completed, connecting the vast Siberian gas fields to the Chinese market.