Network gas export as a strategic priority of gas industry of the Russian Far East

Abstract

Gas industry of the Far East has accumulated high potential and can act as a driver of social and economic development of the macroregion. It is possible to form a multiplicative impulse for social and economic development of all the region in the context of development of gas industry of the Far East through implementation of large-scale strategic priorities and projects. Gas export to the Asian-Pacific countries is one of such perspective strategic opportunities that can create a whole strategic direction. Therefore, the main objective of the study is to justify network gas export as a strategic direction of the gas industry of the Far East. Theoretical and methodological basis of the study lies in the certain methodological provisions of sectoral strategizing which are based on the general theory of strategy and involve conducting OTSW-analysis as an effective tool for monitoring and justifying strategic opportunities. The analysis allowed revealing two strategic opportunities which prove high perspective of network gas export from the Far East: “Asian-Pacific region as ‘the energy window of opportunity' and ‘ecological window of opportunity' in the Asian-Pacific region”. Concentration of the whole range of interest groups (global, national, public, regional, sectoral, corporate), high resource and technology potential as well as the scale of projects devoted to network gas export (exploration and development of gas fields, increasing natural gas production in the region, infrastructure development) will enhance economic and social effects. It justifies network gas export as a strategic direction of gas industry of the Far East. Its implementation will give multiplicative impulse to the social and economic development of the Far Eastern Federal district.