Putin Blesses Multibillion-Dollar Bet on Russia Competing in LNG
- $27-billion Yamal LNG plans to send first tanker to China
- Russia sees its Arctic region as Qatar-size production hub
How Putin Became the Symbol of Russian Power
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As Russia’s President Vladimir Putin oversees the official start of a $27 billion liquefied natural gas plant in the snow-covered tundra of northern Siberia, his mind may wander to its biggest competitor more than 3,000 miles away in Qatar.
While the two regions may have vastly different climates, Putin is determined to make Russia’s Arctic competitive in the fuel that turned Qatar into the richest nation per capita. On Friday, he witnessed the loading of the first icebreaking tanker from the Yamal LNG plant, built on time despite the harsh climate and in defiance of U.S. sanctions targeting its biggest shareholder.