Distance and politics mean no easy solution to Russia’s pipeline problem

Russia has largely been able to maintain its oil exports despite de jure and de facto restrictions on destination, mode of transit and price. But it does not have the same luxury of flexibility when it comes to gas. Time, distance, cost and politics are all against it finding a solution to its gas export problem. Russia sent 167bn m³ of gas to Europe in 2021 but only c.60bn m³ in 2022, a volume that could fall further still. If Russia wants to find new markets for this gas to the east, it will need to access or build infrastructure to move stranded production out of Western Siberia. Power of Siberia 2, Russia’s long-in-development pipeline designed to send additional gas to China, has take