Wedoany.com Report-Nov. 24, China imported a record 1.299 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia in September 2025, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs (GACC). This volume represents an increase from 751,000 tonnes in September 2024 and exceeds the previous monthly high of 1 million tonnes recorded in July 2023.

In September, Russia ranked as China’s third-largest LNG supplier, following Australia (2.127 million tonnes) and Qatar (1.453 million tonnes).

Of the 2.765 million tonnes of LNG produced in Russia during the month, approximately 2.066 million tonnes were delivered to the three main Northeast Asian markets: China, Japan, and South Korea.

Russia’s large-scale LNG facilities include Sakhalin Energy (operated by Gazprom, Mitsui, and Mitsubishi), Yamal LNG (operated by Novatek, TotalEnergies, CNPC, and Silk Road Fund), Gazprom’s LNG Portovaya, and Cryogas-Vysotsk.

Total natural gas supplies from Russia to China, combining pipeline deliveries and LNG, reached 4.078 billion cubic metres in September, reflecting a 37 percent year-on-year increase.

China’s overall LNG imports in September amounted to 5.76 million tonnes, marking a 12 percent decline compared with the same month last year. Pipeline gas imports, which compete directly with higher-cost LNG, continued to grow and now account for a larger share of total supplies.

Pipeline natural gas imports in September totalled 5.215 billion cubic metres, supplied by Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Myanmar. This represented a slight year-on-year rise of 1 percent.

Combined imports of pipeline gas and LNG reached 12.713 billion cubic metres in September, down 7.3 percent from 13.71 billion cubic metres in the corresponding period of 2024. The lower volume partly reflects seasonal factors, as September typically falls between peak summer and winter demand periods, while scheduled maintenance on certain import pipelines also affects monthly totals.

During the month, large-scale re-exports of LNG from China remained minimal, with activity limited to small-volume transactions and bunkering operations.

The continuing expansion of pipeline deliveries and steady domestic production have contributed to a gradual reduction in the proportion of LNG within China’s overall natural gas import mix in recent periods.