'Brave and beautiful idea' to send Siberian gas to India via China

Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller admitted he is potentially interested in supplying gas to the Indian subcontinent in future. Technically challenging, it would requite a supply route through mountainous territory.

The project would involve extending the East Siberian supply route to China, and will be discussed in July during a summit of the BRIC countries - Brazil, Russia, India and China. 

'It is just an idea, a brave and beautiful idea,' said Miller responding to an Indian newspaper report in Financial Express floating the plan.

'Was such an idea discussed at a practical level, it could be of interest for us'.

Gazprom has already signed a deal to supply 2.5 million mt/year of LNG to India. Talks are going ahead to boost that amount by one million mt/year, with the first deliveries expected in 2019. Increasingly Gazprom sees the future as Asian rather than European.

Miller revealed talks have begun with China over the envisaged western route from Siberia to China.

'The talks on the western route have begun immediately after the signing of the contract on the gas deliveries via the eastern route,' he disclosed.

'The talks started within the same visit,' he said. 'We will sign a contract on additional supplies of 30 billion cubic meters/year in the near future.'

The western route crosses the Altai Mountains and has been seen as controversial for ecological reasons.