Russia's Gazprom, China's CNPC Discuss Western Route Gas Delivery

Russia's energy giant Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) have held talks on the so-called Western route of gas supply to China, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Western route, known as the Power of Siberia-2, was conceived to supplement the original Power of Siberia 30-year framework agreement signed the previous year between Russia and China. The first route envisions annual deliveries of 38 billion cubic meters of Russian gas starting in 2019.

"Gazprom and CNPC have already discussed it [the Western route] today," Novak told journalists.

The Power of Siberia-2 has a planned annual capacity of 30 billion cubic meters, with possible second and third legs bringing annual capacity up to 100 billion cubic meters.