At the crossroads of policy ambitions and political reality: reflections on the prospects of LNG development in Russia

With world's largest conventional natural gas reserves, flat domestic demand, and uncertain demand for pipeline gas exports, Russia is poised to become an important player in the global LNG market. Indeed, the Russian leadership named LNG development as one of the key features of its energy policy. This article aims to examine this policy ambition and reflect on the barriers to and opportunities in realising it. The article provides an overview of LNG projects in Russia and examines the policy rationale for their expansion.