Russia's Gazprom (GAZP.RS), the world's largest producer of natural gas, intends to produce up to 90 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, by 2030, the Interfax news agency reported Tuesday, citing the company's deputy chairman Valery Golubev.
By that time the company aims to supply a quarter of the world's LNG consumption to diversify away from pipeline gas supplies and become a global energy player, Golubev said.
Gazprom has no LNG production yet, but plans to launch its Sakhalin-2 project, in which the company holds a 50% stake, in 2009 with yearly production to total 9.6 million tons.
Gazprom, which currently supplies a quarter of Europe's natural gas, is also planning to start LNG production at its Shtokman field in the Barents Sea by 2013.