MOSCOW, April 8 (Reuters) - Russian exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) increased 4.3% in the first quarter to 8.7 million metric tons from a year earlier, with a rise in supply to the European Union and less going to Asia, Kommersant daily reported on Monday citing Kpler data.
Russia has been cranking up supply of sea-borne super cooled LNG to compensate for a fall in pipeline gas exports to Europe, which has drastically reduced its energy reliance on Moscow following the start of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022.
Russian LNG, unlike oil, has not been under Western sanctions.
According to Kommersant, Russian LNG exports to Asia declined by 7% in the January-March quarter to 3.16 million tons from the same period a year ago, while supply to the EU increased by 4% to almost 5 million tons. Around 550,000 tons were not nominated for a destination.
In March, it said, the fall in exports to Asia was more pronounced - supplies to the region declined by 30% to 860,000 tons. Exports to Europe last month edged by up 3% to 1.55 million tons. Some 470,000 were not nominated, it added.
Russia's Novatek-led Yamal LNG and Gazprom -controlled Sakhalin Energy are the two largest suppliers of Russian LNG. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Sonali Paul)
