Crimea crisis: a boon or a bad for Asian gas buyers?

A boon: Russia's urgent need to diversify its market away from Europe and pivot to Asia, may accelerate the finalization of the Russia-China pipeline deal with Gazprom more willing to compromise on pricing. The Vladivostok LNG project could also benefit from more pricing flexibility from Gazprom.


A bad: However, the worsening of the Ukraine-Russia crisis, and potential escalation of the sanctions could go as far as ban on supply of high-tech equipment and service companies contracts. With those type of sanctions in place, offshore production and LNG plant construction would be made impossible. This situation would lead to a forced pause in Putin's eastward LNG focus strategy.