Which three countries are importers of natural gas. The share of fuel and energy industries in the structure of industrial production in Russia, the largest countries of the world and the CIS

The article presents current and official data for 2016, based on the provided statistical information from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Modern human living conditions cannot be imagined without the presence of natural gas as fuel. Environmental friendliness, good thermal conductivity, easy transportability, relatively low price and other positive properties make it indispensable in many areas of human life, industry and the power industry.

World leaders in natural gas production in the world

The main consumers are not geographically located in the regions. This is due to the geographic distribution of industry and electricity, as well as population density in a particular region.

Since the 1970s, the largest volumes of consumption have occurred in three regions of the globe: North America, Foreign Europe and the CIS countries. Of these regions, only the United States of America and Canada can fully supply themselves with the necessary reserves of fuel resources. In other regions, large consumption does not come from their own resources - exports from producing countries predominate.

The diagram shows the main gas production areas in the world, with individual countries taken as the area. In total, all indicators are taken as 100%, not counting the remaining territories, which account for the small size of the development. The unit of measurement in the diagram is billion cubic meters.

In terms of natural gas production, more than 25% of the world's total belongs to the United States, which occupies a leading position. Second place is occupied by Russia, which accounts for about 20 percent of the total production of the ten leading regions.

The position of countries in the list of leaders in gas production does not at all mean the leadership of these same countries in global fuel trade, that is, export to other regions of the world. For 2016, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries compiled a ranking of states that are export-oriented, of which eight are leading.

The twenty largest gas fields contain about 1,200 billion cubic meters of gas. The geography of areas that are rich in this natural resource is confined to the territories of the following countries of the world:

Russia. 9 of the largest fuel deposits out of 20 are located on the lands of the Russian Federation. Most of them were opened in the 60-80s of the last century. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, three new large deposits were discovered in Russia, which were included in the TOP 20: West Kamchatka, Leningradskoye and Rusanovskoye (read also -).
USA. The subregion contains 4 largest deposits, which were discovered in the mid-1960s and began to be intensively used at the end of the 20th century.
Qatar and Iran. There are two rich places here, one of which simultaneously occupies state lands of Qatar and Iran.
Turkmenistan. There is only one rich place that is among the leaders in gas reserves.
China. One large deposit, which was discovered in 2008 and took tenth place in the TOP-20 states in terms of resource reserves ().
Algeria. The last three lines in the ranking are occupied by Algerian regions. Hassi Mel is the oldest in the country, discovered back in 1957, but until now it is also the largest in Algeria in terms of its reserves. The other two were opened in 2004 and 2006.

The first place in the list of the largest fields is occupied by North or South Pars, which is located within two countries at once - Qatar and Iran, as well as in the water area of the Persian oil and gas basin and the Gulf. It was discovered in 1991 and currently its reserves exceed 270 billion cubic meters. The Persian Gulf is a global giant not only in terms of the presence of deposits, but also in terms of production volumes in the Asian oil and gas region.

After the opening of the new Galkynysh place in Turkmenistan in 2006, it took second place in the list of world leaders. It owns 210 billion cubic meters of resource, the deposits of which are located within the Murghab oil and gas basin.

The third place belongs to the Russian Federation, namely the Urengoy region, confined to the West Siberian oil and gas basin. It was discovered in 1996; as of 2016, its reserves amount to 10.2 trillion cubic meters.

Main gas production areas in the world

Below is a map that reflects the geography of the largest gas fields throughout the globe. The main deposits of blue fuel are concentrated within the leading states on an annual basis.

The largest mineral reserves are located within the following deposits on the planet:

Gulf of Mexico and Alaska in the United States of America;
in the Russian Federation, the southern and northern regions of Western Siberia, the territories of the Far East and Sakhalin, the shelves of two seas - the Barents and Kara;
fields located within Iran, Qatar and Saudi Arabia of the Persian Gulf;
the southern regions of Turkmenistan, whose minerals are exported to three countries - Poland, Ukraine and Hungary;
Algeria and Nigeria are the only subregions in Africa with natural gas reserves. The fuel here is of high quality, which does not contain a high content of harmful impurities and slags;
in the Norwegian North Sea. The volumes of natural gas deposits are considered the largest in Europe;
Canadian lands contain several of the largest areas within the island of Newfoundland in the northern provinces, including the shelf of the Western Canadian Basin;
In China, the main gas production areas are concentrated in the Tari Basin

OPEC statistics indicate that with the growing consumption of blue fuel on the planet, the remaining reserves will only last for the next 65 years. All state deposits contain no more than 180 trillion cubic meters of flammable material. More than 120 trillion are fuel reserves that have not yet been explored, since they lie at very great depths in the earth’s crust and are practically inaccessible for global production.

The world's largest producers of natural gas - Russia, the USA, Canada, the Netherlands, the UK - simultaneously consume natural gas in large quantities, therefore, in comparison with oil, the share of natural gas supplies for export is relatively small - only about 15%. Its largest exporters are Russia (about 30% of world exports), the Netherlands, Canada, Norway, and Algeria. The USA, being one of the largest consumers of natural gas, uses not only its own, but also gas from other countries - Canada, Algeria, etc. Along with the USA, Japan and most European countries import gas (especially in large quantities - Germany, France, Italy) . Natural gas is supplied for export via gas pipelines (from Canada and Mexico to the USA, from Russia and Turkmenistan to the CIS countries and Europe, from Norway and the Netherlands to Europe) or by sea in liquefied form (from Indonesia to Japan, from Algeria to Western Europe and USA).

The supply of natural gas to the world economy at the current level of its production (2.2 trillion cubic meters per year) is 71 years.

Coal industry very promising in global energy supply (coal resources have not yet been truly explored, their general geological reserves significantly exceed those of oil and natural gas). Modern world coal production is at the level of 4.5–5 billion tons. Among the main coal-mining countries are representatives of almost all regions of the world. The exception is the coal-poor countries of Latin America, whose share in global coal production is extremely small. The largest coal producers in the world are China (1,160 million tons), the USA (930), Germany (270), Russia (245), India (240), Australia, Poland, South Africa (approximately 200 million tons each), Kazakhstan , Ukraine (approximately 100 million tons each). The largest coal basins in the world in terms of production are Appalachian (USA), Ruhr (Germany), Upper Silesian (Poland), Donetsk (Ukraine), Kuznetsk and Pechora (Russia), Karaganda (Kazakhstan), Fushun (China). Open-pit coal mining is effective - USA, Australia, South Africa.

About a tenth of global coal production (mostly coking) is exported annually. The largest coal exporters are Australia, USA, South Africa, Poland, Canada, Russia. The main importers are Japan, South Korea, Italy, Germany, Great Britain. Australia supplies coal mainly to Japan and South Korea. The USA and South Africa work on the European and Latin American markets. The spread of Russian coal (Pechora and Kuznetsk basins) abroad is limited by its weak competitiveness (due to the high cost of production, distance from main consumers, etc.) with local and imported fuel from other countries.

World production electricity is approximately 13.5 trillion. kWh, Most of the world's electricity production occurs in a small group of countries, among which are the USA (3600 billion kWh), Japan (930), China (900), Russia (845), Canada, Germany, France (about 500 billion kWh). The gap in electricity production between developed and developing countries is large: developed countries account for about 65% of total generation, developing countries - 22%, countries with economies in transition - 13%.

In general, in the world, more than 60% of all electricity is generated at thermal power plants (TPPs), about 20% - at hydroelectric power plants (HPPs), about 17% - at nuclear power plants (NPPs) and about 1% - at geothermal, tidal, solar, wind power plants. However, there are large differences in this regard across countries around the world. For example, in Norway, Brazil, Canada and New Zealand, almost all electricity is generated by hydroelectric power plants. In Poland, the Netherlands and South Africa, on the contrary, almost all electricity generation is provided by thermal power plants, and in France, Sweden, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, and the Republic of Korea, the electric power industry is mainly based on nuclear power plants.

Geographical location of gas deposits

Surface gas seeps are confined to mountainous areas. The release of fossil fuels to the surface occurs in the form of both small bubbles and huge fountains. On water-soaked soil it is easy to notice such small manifestations. Large emissions create mud volcanoes up to several hundred meters.

Before the industrialization of the world, surface gas outlets were quite sufficient. With the increase in gas consumption, there was a need to look for deposits and drill wells. The largest proven reserves of such a valuable mineral are located throughout the world.

Since gas is a sedimentary mineral, its deposits should be looked for in mountainous areas, at the bottom of seas and oceans, or in places where seas were located in ancient times.

The first place in terms of gas volumes is occupied by the South Pars/North oil and gas field, which is located in the Persian Gulf. South Pars is under the jurisdiction of Iran, and North Pars is under the jurisdiction of Qatar. Surprisingly huge deposits, despite their very close proximity, are separate deposits of different ages. Their total volume is estimated at 28 trillion cubic meters of gas.

Next on the list in terms of reserves is the Urengoy oil and gas condensate field, located in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug of the Russian Federation. The explored reserves of this giant field amounted to 16 trillion cubic meters. Now these deposits are within 10.2 trillion cubic meters.

The third field is Haynesville, located in the USA. Its volume is 7 trillion m3.

Gas production areas in the world

The largest natural fuel reserves are located in several locations:

Alaska;
Gulf of Mexico (United States of America);
Far East of Russia and the region of western Siberia;
shelves of the Barents and Kara seas;
continental shelves of Latin America;
south of Turkmenistan;
Arabian Peninsula and Iran;
waters of the North Sea;
Canadian provinces;
China.

Leading countries in gas production

About twenty deposits contain the majority of natural resource reserves - about 1,200 billion cubic meters. Several countries produce gas.

Country No. 1

Russian Federation. Blue fuel resources are about 32.6 trillion cubic meters. Russia owns nine of the world's largest gas reserves. The gas industry is the backbone of the Russian economy. More than 60% of reserves are in deposits in Western Siberia, the Volga region, the North Caucasus and the Urals. Gas production – 642.917 billion m3 per year.

Country No. 2

Iran. Gas resources amount to 34 trillion cubic meters, which is almost a fifth of the world's reserves. Gas production (212.796 billion m3 per year) is concentrated in the northern region of the state and on the shelf of the Persian Gulf. International sanctions have negatively impacted the country's gas industry. Their abolition in 2016 makes it possible to again increase gas production volumes, which makes Iran Russia’s closest competitor in natural fuel production.

The map shows a gas field in Iran

State No. 3

Qatar. Fuel resources – 24.5 trillion cubic meters. The country relatively recently joined the leading exporters of blue fuel. Gas production, amounting to 174.057 billion m3 per year, its processing and supply to international markets began in 1995–1997. Liquefied gas is produced only in the city of Ras Laffan. More than 80% of the extracted minerals are exported.

Country No. 4

Turkmenistan. Gas deposit reserves amount to 17.5 trillion cubic meters. Gas production occurs in the country’s only field – Galkynysh. Most of the minerals are supplied to the European market. In 2006, the state was included in the Nabucco project - gas supplies through a pipeline from the Asian region directly to Europe. But due to regular conflicts in each of the proposed participating countries, the implementation of the project was delayed. In 2013, Nabucco was closed without being built. The Trans-Adriatic gas pipeline has become a priority.

State No. 5

USA. Natural gas reserves amount to 9.8 trillion cubic meters. Gas production occurs in four states of the state: Texas, Oklahoma, Wyoming and Colorado - 729,529. Blue fuel is also extracted from the depths of the continental shelf, but its share in the country’s total volumes is small - only 5%. Gas production is carried out by private companies.

The leaders in natural fuel production are:

ExxonMobil
Chevron
Phillips 66

State No. 6

Saudi Arabia. Deposits of blue fuel are estimated at 8,200 billion cubic meters. OPEC leading country. The Saudi Arabian Oil Company (or Saudi Aramco) is the only national gas producer in Saudi Arabia. Gas production occurs in 70 fields - this is 102.380 billion m3 per year. The largest of them is Tukhman, located in the Rub al-Khali desert, whose reserves are estimated at 1 billion m3.

State No. 7

United Arab Emirates. Explored reserves of blue fuel amount to 6,100 billion cubic meters. The main volumes lie in the emirate of Abu Dhabi (5600 billion m3). The world's largest gas reservoir, Khuff, is also installed in Abu Dhabi. The remaining hydrocarbon deposits are distributed in the emirates of Sharjah (283 thousand million m3), Dubai (113 thousand million m3), and Ras Al Khaimah (34 thousand million m3).

Gas production only slightly exceeds the state's own needs. used in the UAE for electricity production and in the oil industry. The demand for blue fuel is constantly growing due to the constant increase in production rates in industry.

The ADGAS plant is involved in the Nizhny Zakum, Bunduk and Um-Shaif oil fields. This company also exports natural gas. To solve problems with gas production, the Dolphin project was created. Dolphin is a network of gas pipelines connecting the UAE and Qatar.

Country No. 8

Venezuela. Reserves amount to 5,600 billion cubic meters of natural gas, which is almost 3% of world reserves. The main volumes are associated gas with oil. Together with foreign companies, it develops offshore gas fields. Participating in these projects:

Rosneft.
Gazprom.
Lukoil (RF).
CNOOC Ltd (PRC).
Sonatrach (Algeria).
Petronas (Malaysia).

Country No. 9

Nigeria. Approximate fuel reserves are 5100 billion m3. The country is a member of OPEC and produces the largest volumes of gas in Africa. The gas industry is the backbone of the country's economy - more than 90% of the foreign exchange earnings of the Nigerian budget. Moreover, despite high incomes, the state is very poor due to corruption, poorly developed infrastructure and a weak economy based only on the gas industry.

Country No. 10

Algeria. Explored mineral deposits amount to 4,500 billion cubic meters. After the 90s In the 20th century, thanks to increased investment, proven reserves doubled. The largest deposit is Hass-Rmel, followed by Gurd-Nus, Nezla, Wend-Numkr. Algerian gas is of high quality, has a minimal amount of impurities and is not associated with oil. Hydrocarbon production at 83,296 per year.

Country No. 11

Norway. Three quarters of Western European deposits are identified in the North Sea. Volumes are expected to be 765 billion cubic meters. And also mineral deposits of about 47,700 billion cubic meters were found at the North Pole. Norwegian companies were among the first to extract gas using floating drilling rigs.

Country No. 12

Canada. Most of the gas produced is exported - 88.29 thousand million m3, and 62.75 thousand million m3 is consumed by the country itself. The largest deposits are recorded in the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, as well as on the shelf of the eastern part of the continent near Newfoundland. The main foreign consumer of Canadian hydrocarbons is the United States. At the moment, the states are connected by a gas pipeline.

State No. 13

China. China is one of the leaders in gas production. Most of the volume is consumed by the state itself. Only blue fuel is supplied to international markets. Chinese gas deposits are located in the South China Sea - the Yacheng field, the reserve volume is 350 billion cubic meters. On land, the largest deposit is recorded in the Tarim Basin, whose proven reserves amount to 500 billion cubic meters.

Video: The entire chain of natural gas production and treatment

The role of gas in modern society is difficult to overestimate. The volume of natural gas in the global energy balance is 25%, and according to forecasts by 2050 it will grow to 30%.

In this brief overview of the current state of the gas industry, we want to outline only numbers and facts, without trying to give our own analysis, and thus we want to interest the public and give them the opportunity to make their own analysis and conclusions.

Table 2. Distribution of proven gas reserves by country,%

Note: in Russia - 47.6 trillion m3, Iran - 26.6, Qatar -25.8, Saudi Arabia - 6.7, UAE - 6.0, USA - 5.4, Nigeria - 5.0, Algeria - 4.6, Venezuela – 4.3.

Traditional natural gas reserves in the world amount to about 174 trillion m3. The main gas reserves in Russia are concentrated in the area of the Yamal Peninsula and amount to 16 trillion m3.

Prospective and forecast reserves add another 22 trillion m3. Gas reserves in the Siberian and Far Eastern districts have yet to be developed, although Sakhalin gas has been supplied to Japan for several years.

Gas production

Currently, gas production in the world is 3.3 trillion m3 per year. Gas production in EU countries remains at the same level, and even a slight decline is planned.

Iran increased production, Qatar moved from 14th place in production to sixth. China and India moved up the ranking. Gas production in the United States has grown due to gas produced from shale rocks (“shale gas”).

Gas production in Russia is carried out by several companies (in billion m3):

OJSC Gazprom - 510,
OJSC NOVATEK - 25,
OJSC "LUKOIL" - 14,
OJSC "Surgutneftegas" - 12,
NK "Rosneft" - 12.

Gas export

The main gas exporting countries are:

Russia (150 billion m3),
Norway (98),
Canada (92),
Qatar (68),
Algeria (52),
Netherlands (46),
Indonesia (36).

The main gas exporter in the world is Russia. The amount of gas exported includes gas transported through pipeline systems and in the form of LNG.

Table 4. Dynamics of Russian gas supplies to Europe

In total, more than 3.5 trillion m3 of natural gas has been supplied to European countries since 1973; 70% of gas supplies from Russia go to Western European countries, 30% to Central European countries.

Table 5. Natural gas supplies in 2011:

to Western European countries (billion m3)
Germany	34,02
Türkiye	26,0
Italy	17,08
France	9,53
Great Britain	8,16
Austria	5,43
Netherlands	4,37
Finland	4,19
Greece	2,90
Switzerland	0,31
Denmark	0,04
to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (billion m3)
Poland	10,25
Czech	7,59
Hungary	6,26
Slovakia	5,89
Romania	2,82
Bulgaria	2,81
Serbia	1,39
Bosnia and Herzegovina	0,28
Macedonia	0,13
to the countries of the former Soviet Union (billion m3)
Ukraine	35,5
Belarus	21,8
Kazakhstan	3,4
Lithuania	0,7
Armenia	1,4
Latvia	0,7
Estonia	0,4
Georgia	0,2

Gas import

There are 67 natural gas importing countries in the world; Macau closes the list with 154 million m3. The number of importers includes the United States - the demand for gas in the United States exceeds its own production. Russia imports gas for further transportation through its networks, although gas reserves and exports should not force the import of gas, but it is beneficial for Russia.

Table 6. Gas importing countries (billion m3)

Gas consumption

The consumption of energy resources, including gas, characterizes the economic development of the country.
In short-term fluctuations, the reasons for an increase (decrease) in gas consumption may be warming or cooling of the climate, crises, and force majeure. But in the long term, gas consumption will increase.

For Russia, gas is the main fuel; its share in primary energy consumption is 55.2%.

Table 7. Largest natural gas consuming countries, billion m3

A country	2009	Share in world consumption in 2009, %
USA	646,6	22,0
Russia	389,7	13,3
Iran	131,7	4,5
Canada	94,7	3,2
Japan	87,4	3,0
China	88,7	3,0
Great Britain	86,5	2,9
Germany	78,0	2,7
Saudi Arabia	77,5	2,6
Italy	71,6	2,4
Mexico	69,6	2,4
UAE	59,1	2,0
Uzbekistan	48,7	1,7
Ukraine	47,0	1,6
Argentina	43,1	1,5
France	42, 6	1,4

Gas transportation

Today we know three ways to transport gas: overland pipeline systems, underwater gas pipelines and transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG), mainly by sea.

There is no point in talking about the world's pipeline systems () - this is an immense topic. Obviously, no one knows the total extent of this system.

Therefore, we will talk about the gas transportation system of Russia, especially since gas flows from this system to most European countries. The length of the Russian system is 160 thousand km. We will also briefly touch on LNG transport.

The main gas suppliers in Russia are currently the largest fields (Yamburg, Urengoy, Medvezhye) concentrated in the Nadym-Pur-Tazovsky region in the north of western Siberia and providing 92% of all gas production in Russia. The Bovanenkovskoye field in Yamal began producing gas in October 2012.

The Yamal-Europe transnational gas pipeline passes through the territory of four countries; its design capacity is 32 billion m3 per year; length more than 2 thousand km.

The Ukrainian gas transport corridor includes the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod gas pipeline. In Slovakia, the gas pipeline is divided. Along one branch, gas goes to Austria and further to the north of Europe. The second branch of gas goes to southern Europe. Gas transit volume is 30.5 billion m3 per year.

The Nord Stream pipeline directly connects Russia and Germany along the seabed. Its length is about 1200 km, with a throughput capacity of 55 billion m3 per year.

The Blue Stream gas pipeline is intended for direct gas supplies to Turkey through the Black Sea. The length of the gas pipeline is 1213 km, the design capacity is 16 billion m3 per year.

The South Stream gas pipeline project is designed to increase gas exports to Europe. The offshore section of the gas pipeline is approximately 900 km. Design capacity is 63 billion m3 per year.

Of the gas pipelines built recently, it should be noted: Bovanenkovskoye field (Yamal) - Ukhta. Sakhalin-Khabarovsk - Vladivostok (36 billion m3 per year). Gas pipelines are being designed: Yakutia-Khabarovsk-Vladivostok (25 billion m3 per year) and others.

In order to ensure uninterrupted gas supplies during periods of increased demand, underground gas storage systems (UGS) are being developed. The capacity of UGS facilities in Europe owned by Russia is about 3.0 billion m3, daily productivity is 35.7 million m3 (it is projected to increase the capacity of UGS facilities by 2015 to 5.0 billion m3).

Part 2 of the article “State of the gas industry in the world”:
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) and unconventional gases

Article prepared by:
Shenyavsky Yuri Lvovich,
President of the Gas Club of St. Petersburg

The use of natural gas is an important part of the life of modern people. It warms our homes in winter, gives us the opportunity to cook food and bathe in warm water, with its help transport moves and large enterprises operate. There will be no blue fuel - collapse will occur. Despite the huge reserves of gas in the world, it is necessary to use the resource wisely and productively, so that many generations after us can also enjoy the benefits of civilization.

World gas reserves (2014)

No matter how many cubic meters of blue fuel the planet contains in its depths, you need to be careful and economical when extracting and consuming it. The resource is not replenished and is not formed on its own. Therefore, sooner or later it may end.

No one will tell you the exact amount of gas hidden under the layers of the earth. But according to some experts, we can talk about 173 trillion in proven reserves. About 120 trillion more are supposedly hidden far from our eyes, and the hand of man has not yet reached the secret wealth. This blue fuel should only last humanity for 65 years. Where are the largest gas reserves in the world? A table compiled by experts will help us answer this question.

It should be noted that there are countries that have the largest reserves in the world. These are the USA, Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Poland, Austria, Germany and other European countries.

Russia

Our country has the richest deposits of this resource. As shown in the table, the estimated volume of blue fuel ranges from 31 trillion cubic meters to almost 50. In percentage terms, we own from 24 to 40 percent of all existing gas reserves on Earth.

More than half of the promising resources of the Russian Federation are located in the western region of Siberia, more than a quarter - on the shelves of the Kara and Barents seas. Some of the predicted deposits are concentrated in the seas of the Far East and the Arctic, as well as in the Asian part of the country. As for the explored ones, two-thirds are hidden in the depths of the Yamalo-Nenets Okrug. The European part of the Russian Federation accounts for only 10%. These are the largest gas reserves in the world that exist.

The Urengoy blue fuel field is the third largest in the world. In total, it holds 16 trillion cubic meters. is carried out by the Gazprom enterprise, which supplies the product to many European countries.

Iran

Apart from Russia, this Islamic republic also has the largest natural gas reserves in the world. According to general estimates, this is about 16% of the entire resource existing on the planet. The most important deposits are in the northeast and offshore of the Persian Gulf. The state plans to build the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline.

The world's proven gas reserves are large, and Iran owns the lion's share of them. Therefore, I am ready to compete with Russia for the supply of resources to Europe. The authorities of the Islamic Republic are going to release blue fuel to the northwest. There are many route options: through Turkey, Syria, Iraq or the Caucasus. Although Iran's Deputy Minister of Oil and Gas Ali Majedi called the first proposed branch the most promising.

Construction of the gas pipeline will be completed in 2019. Delivery will begin then. Turkey will receive 6 billion cubic meters of blue fuel annually as a transit country, and Europe will receive almost twice as much of the resource.

Qatar

The small state, which not everyone can find on a world map, has very large gas reserves. In the world it is the third largest in the number of hidden cubic meters of blue fuel in the bowels of the earth. This is approximately 24-26 trillion m³. Based on the above figures, the country can easily produce gas for the next 150 years. Here is one of the largest deposits on the planet - the Northern Dome.

Recently, Qatar has been looking for opportunities to export to the European Union. Just like for Iran, the best corridors for this state pass through Syria and Turkey. While negotiating with the leadership of these countries on transit, the Qatari authorities dream of worthy of competing with Russia and even surpassing it in terms of the amount of transported blue fuel. And this is quite real. The country actively produces oil and gas. The world's reserves of these resources are distributed in such a way that Qatar accounts for the lion's share. The value of deposits in this territory is estimated at 10 trillion dollars, which is twice as much as those of Iran and Russia, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

Turkmenistan

Gas reserves in countries around the world are arranged in such a way that this particular state occupies fourth place in our ranking. And he has every chance to break into the top three, since in 2015, the country’s President Garbanguly Berdimuhamedov instructed the government to increase resource production to 83 billion cubic meters, and exports to 48.

The country actively supplies blue fuel to China, as well as, paradoxically, to Iran and Russia. Now the construction of a new TAPI gas pipeline is also starting in the state.

Large gas reserves are hidden in the depths of the giant gas and oil field in Turkmenistan - Galkynysh. There are few such places in the world. Its operation began relatively recently - in 2013. The country also has large deposits of the resource near the city of Yolotan, named after this settlement - South Yolotan.

USA

This country primarily has the largest shale gas reserves in the world. It is extracted from and consists largely of methane. The first commercial well was drilled here in 1821 in New York. Since then, the United States has become one of the leaders in the extraction of this resource on the planet.

The largest gas reserves in the United States are in the Gulf of Mexico. These wells are: Red Hawk, discovered in 2002, as well as Ticonderoga and Tender Horse, both of which contain 20 billion cubic meters of gas. At the same time, Point Thompson, which is part of the oil and gas basin of northern Alaska, has remained a real giant since 1965. Here the bowels of the earth contain 3 trillion m³. The country is building a gas pipeline to transport the resource. It will stretch from Point Thompson to the very Pacific coast, and from there to the heart of America - Washington.

Experts say the field could supply 7% of the United States' annual demand. It is expected that construction of the gas pipeline will be completed in 2018, at which time its full operation will begin.

Saudi Arabia

More than a quarter of proven oil reserves are located here. In total, this is about 260 billion barrels. This country is also the main regulator of oil prices in the world and the leader of OPEC.

As for gas, over the next 10 years the country will double its production. No export supplies are expected; the resource will only meet the internal needs of the state. Currently, the largest gas field is Tukhman, located in the center of the Rub al-Khali desert. The initial reserve here is estimated at 1 billion cubic meters. The resource lies at a depth of five kilometers.

Although Saudi Arabia is one of the ten gas giants of the world, it still “feeds” itself mainly from oil. It is she who owns the largest oil field in the world - Gavar. 65% of the country's total oil is produced here. For example, in 2006, 6.5% of world oil production was brought to the surface in Gavar alone. There are natural deposits here, millions of m³ are mined every day.

UAE

214 trillion cubic meters are reliable gas reserves. In the world, the Emirates hold a leading position in this area: 4% of all global resource deposits. It is mainly mined in Abu Dhabi. The company of the same name controls 90 percent of the state’s gas reserves.

According to experts, the UAE also ranks 5th in the world in oil sales. The country is a member of OPEC; its oil reserves will last for more than 100 years. 66 billion barrels - this is exactly how much the bowels of this fertile Arab land contain. The industry is also controlled by the national company Abu Dhabi.

The United Arab Emirates is the richest country in the world and a leading economic center. From 1970 to the present day it has increased 20 times. The main trading partners are: Italy, Germany, Great Britain, South Korea and Japan. The UAE is also an interesting country. She chose absolute neutrality, both in relation to the West and her native East.

Venezuela

Natural gas reserves in the world are large, and the Bolivarian Republic owns part of them. It takes an honorable eighth place in our ranking of gas giants. Of the 146 trillion cubic pounds, a third is classified as "possible." The state is taking part in the development of blue fuel deposits on the shelf together with companies from Russia, China, Algeria and Malaysia.

In the western hemisphere of the planet, it is in Venezuela that the largest oil reserves are concentrated - about 75-80 billion barrels. Although the government claims that these figures have been reduced several times. Be that as it may, in Latin America this is the No. 1 state in the production of black gold. It is a member of OPEC and one of the most powerful oil exporters on the planet.

Venezuela is not only a well-known leading exporter of important natural resources, but also claims to take first place in the ranking of the most developed and successful countries in Latin America. And this despite all its conflicts with the United States, the bordering Antilles and neighboring Colombia.

Nigeria

Gas reserves across the countries of the world were distributed in such a way that two African states also made it into the TOP 10 largest gas empires. In ninth place we have Nigeria - the No. 1 power on the “dark” continent in terms of proven reserves of blue fuel. About 5 trillion cubic meters of resource are hidden in the bowels of the earth. In terms of its exports, Nigeria ranks 7th in the world, which is also a good result.

The land also has oil deposits. It ranks second after Libya in the number of proven reserves of valuable barrels. But in terms of volumes of black gold exports in Africa, it has no equal. Nigeria actively sells the resource to Western Europe, the USA, India and Brazil. She is an honorary member of OPEC.

Algeria

The largest gas reserves in the world are located in the depths of this African land. And although the state is only 10th in the list of countries with large deposits of blue fuel, it is 5th in the ranking of the most productive and active producers of this resource. Experts cite the figure of 4.5 trillion m³ - these are proven gas reserves. There are few states in the world that can boast of such results.

Most of the blue fuel deposits in Algeria are gas free from oil caps, or that which is found in gas fields. The rest of the resource (about 15%) is dissolved in oil, namely in the main Hassi Messaoud black gold deposit. The largest gas field is Hassi-Rmel, other known points of resource extraction are Nezla, Gurd-Nus and Wend-Numer. From 1990 to the present day, proven reserves of blue fuel in Algeria have doubled, which turned out to be the result of active geological work.

As we can see, there are enough gas reserves on the planet. But this does not relieve us of responsibility for their economical and correct use for the benefit of subsequent generations.

We present to your attention a list of states that produce and export natural gas in huge quantities.
10. Algeria. Gas reserves: 4.5 trillion cubic meters

Algeria ranks 10th in world gas production. The amount of gas in this North African country is 2.5% of world reserves. And half of this number is mined at the Hassi R’Mei deposit, located in the southeast of the country. Gas producing companies such as Total and Shell have been operating in this country for decades. Three plants with 15 production lines are engaged in gas production. Two of them are located in the city of Arzev and one in the city of Skikda.

9. Nigeria. Gas reserves: 5.1 trillion cubic meters

This country ranks first in gas production on the African continent. Also, it is a member of OPEC. And this despite the fact that Nigeria has a high level of corruption, political instability, a weak economy and poorly developed infrastructure. Nigeria is a very gas-dependent country, with profits from its exports accounting for 95% of its foreign exchange earnings. In 2010, Nigeria became a leading exporter of liquefied natural gas. After all, the volume of this exported natural resource is 21.9 million tons.

8. Venezuela. Gas reserves: 5.6 trillion cubic meters

This country's gas reserves account for 2.9% of the world's. But most of them are gas associated with oil. Most of the deposits are located in Norte De Pario (an area north of Trinidad and Tobago). But the gas sector in Venezuela is not very developed, which is holding back its development. The main gas pipelines are owned by PDVSA GAS.

7. UAE. Gas reserves: 6.1 trillion cubic meters

Most of this country's gas reserves are located in its capital, Dubai. Oil fields are located there and there is a Khuff gas reserve. In 1977, the first liquefied gas plant was built in the UAE by ADGAS. Currently, it is engaged in processing natural gas from all oil fields of the country.

6. Saudi Arabia. Gas reserves: 8.2 trillion cubic meters

All oil and gas fields belong to the only state-owned company in the country - Saudi Aramco. It is a monopolist in this area. In total, there are more than 70 deposits in Saudi Arabia, located in 8 regions of the country. Currently, gas production is accelerating. This is due to economic diversification. The country, which is one of the leaders in the production of this natural resource, plans to increase gas supply to the world market. As for mixed oil and gas fields, found back in the late 20th century, they are located in the oil fields of Kirkuk. Pure deposits, constituting 1/5 of the country's total reserves, are located in the Gavar oil field.

5. USA. Gas reserves: 9.8 trillion cubic meters

More than half of this country's gas reserves are located in just four states: Texas, Colorado, Wyoming and Oklahoma. Also, about 5% of mineral resources are taken from the continental shelf, which is under the jurisdiction of the US government. The main gas producing companies in the country, which occupies the middle of the top leaders in gas production, are: BP, ExxonMobil.

4. Turkmenistan. Gas reserves: 17.5 trillion cubic meters

Natural gas is an integral part of the economy of Turkmenistan, which is one of the leaders in the production of this mineral. After all, most of the country’s reserves are spent on its export. All gas is produced in one field - Galkynysh. According to experts, it contains more than 25 trillion cubic meters. Several years ago, plans included a project to build the Nabucco pipe. But he died due to the fault of the country's government. And high hopes were placed on him.

3. Qatar. Gas reserves: 24.5 trillion cubic meters

2. Russia. Gas reserves: 32.6 trillion cubic meters

Gas export is the most important part of the economy of Russia - the leader in production in this area. The natural resource is mined in Western Siberia (Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug), the Urals, the Lower Volga region and the North Caucasus. Gas reserves account for more than 60% of all Russian resources. The natural resource is transported through the Unified Gas Supply System and a network of gas pipelines more than 140 thousand km long. The gas producer is the monopolist Gazprom, which provides 95% of the natural resource from all production in the country.

1. Iran. Gas reserves: 34 trillion cubic meters

All fields are located in the north of the country, which ranks first in gas production in the world, and on the shelf near the Persian Gulf. Foreign (French, Chinese, Belarusian) investors who came to the country back in the late 90s are working on the extraction of natural resources. True, they stopped their activities for a time when sanctions were introduced against Iran, but it seems that they can now return to the market again. The country's authorities plan to increase gas production to 1 billion cubic meters per day by 2017. Iran's total reserves account for 18% of the world's reserves.

The recent lifting of sanctions on Iran will lead to the emergence of another major seller in the gas market. But even without this country, there are enough states that extract and export natural resources in huge quantities. Let's remember, which countries are the leaders in gas production? In the context of current world politics, this information is more relevant than ever.

Gas reserves: 4.5 trillion cubic meters

Algeria ranks 10th in world gas production. The amount of gas in this North African country is 2.5% of world reserves. And half of this number is mined at the Hassi R’Mei deposit, located in the southeast of the country. Gas producing companies such as Total and Shell have been operating in this country for decades.
Three plants with 15 production lines are engaged in gas production. Two of them are located in the city of Arzev and one in the city of Skikda.

Gas reserves: 5.1 trillion cubic meters

Gas reserves: 5.6 trillion cubic meters

The gas reserves of this country, which ranks 8th in the list of leaders in mineral extraction, amount to 2.9% of the world's. But most of them are gas associated with oil. Most of the deposits are located in Norte De Pario (an area north of Trinidad and Tobago). But the gas sector in Venezuela is not very developed, which is holding back its development. The main gas pipelines are owned by PDVSA GAS.

Gas reserves: 6.1 trillion cubic meters

Gas reserves: 8.2 trillion cubic meters

All oil and gas fields belong to the only state-owned company in the country - Saudi Aramco. It is a monopolist in this area. In total, there are more than 70 deposits in Saudi Arabia, located in 8 regions of the country. Currently, gas production is accelerating. This is due to economic diversification. The country, which is one of the leaders in the production of this natural resource, plans to increase gas supply to the world market.
As for mixed oil and gas fields, found back in the late 20th century, they are located in the oil fields of Kirkuk. Pure deposits, constituting 1/5 of the country's total reserves, are located in the Gavar oil field.

Gas reserves: 9.8 trillion cubic meters

Gas reserves: 17.5 trillion cubic meters

Natural gas is an integral part of the economy of Turkmenistan, which is one of the leaders in the production of this mineral. After all, most of the country’s reserves are spent on its export. All gas is produced in one field - Galkynysh. According to experts, it contains more than 25 trillion cubic meters.
Several years ago, plans included a project to build the Nabucco pipe. But he died due to the fault of the country's government. And high hopes were placed on him.

Gas reserves: 24.5 trillion cubic meters

All liquefied gas production plants are located in one city in Qatar - Ras Laffan. The first plant was built in 1996, and gas supplies began a year later. Almost 85% of the total gas produced is supplied to European, Asian and North American markets. This became possible thanks to the favorable geographical location of the country, which took bronze in the ranking of leading states in gas production.

Gas reserves: 32.6 trillion cubic meters

Gas export is the most important part of the economy of Russia - the leader in production in this area. The natural resource is mined in Western Siberia (Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug), the Urals, the Lower Volga region and the North Caucasus. Gas reserves account for more than 60% of all Russian resources.
The natural resource is transported through the Unified Gas Supply System and a network of gas pipelines more than 140 thousand km long.
The gas producer is the monopolist Gazprom, which provides 95% of the natural resource from all production in the country.

Gas reserves: 34 trillion cubic meters

All fields are located in the north of the country, which ranks first in gas production in the world, and on the shelf near the Persian Gulf. Foreign (French, Chinese, Belarusian) investors who came to the country back in the late 90s are working on the extraction of natural resources. True, they stopped their activities for a time when sanctions were introduced against Iran, but it seems that they can now return to the market again.
The country's authorities plan to increase gas production to 1 billion cubic meters per day by 2017. Iran's total reserves account for 18% of the world's reserves.

The article presents current and official data for 2016, based on the provided statistical information from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

World leaders in natural gas production in the world

The main consumers are not geographically located in the regions. This is due to the geographic distribution of industry and electricity, as well as population density in a particular region.

The position of countries in the list of leaders in gas production does not at all mean the leadership of these same countries in global fuel trade, that is, export to other regions of the world. For 2016, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries compiled a rating of states that are export-oriented, of which eight are leading.

Russia. 9 of the largest fuel deposits out of 20 are located on the lands of the Russian Federation. Most of them were opened in the 60-80s of the last century. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, three new large deposits were discovered in Russia, which were included in the TOP 20: West Kamchatka, Leningradskoye and Rusanovskoye (read also -).
USA. The subregion contains 4 largest deposits, which were discovered in the mid-1960s and began to be intensively used at the end of the 20th century.
Qatar and Iran. There are two rich places here, one of which simultaneously occupies state lands of Qatar and Iran.
Turkmenistan. There is only one rich place that is among the leaders in gas reserves.
China. One large deposit, which was discovered in 2008 and took tenth place in the TOP-20 states in terms of resource reserves ().
Algeria. The last three lines in the ranking are occupied by Algerian regions. Hassi Mel is the oldest in the country, discovered back in 1957, but until now it is also the largest in Algeria in terms of its reserves. The other two were opened in 2004 and 2006.

The first place in the list of the largest fields is occupied by North or South Pars, which is located within two countries - Qatar and Iran, as well as in the water area of the Persian oil and gas basin and the Gulf. It was discovered in 1991 and currently its reserves exceed 270 billion cubic meters. The Persian Gulf is a global giant not only in terms of the presence of deposits, but also in terms of production volumes in the Asian oil and gas region.

Main gas production areas in the world

Below is a map that reflects the geography of the largest gas fields throughout the globe. The main deposits of blue fuel are concentrated within the leading countries annually.

The largest mineral reserves are located within the following deposits on the planet:

Gulf of Mexico and Alaska in the United States of America;
in the Russian Federation, the southern and northern regions of Western Siberia, the territories of the Far East and Sakhalin, the shelves of two seas - the Barents and Kara;
fields located within Iran, Qatar and Saudi Arabia of the Persian Gulf;
the southern regions of Turkmenistan, whose minerals are exported to three countries - Poland, Ukraine and Hungary;
Algeria and Nigeria are the only subregions in Africa with natural gas reserves. The fuel here is of high quality, which does not contain a high content of harmful impurities and slags;
in the Norwegian North Sea. The volumes of natural gas deposits are considered the largest in Europe;
Canadian lands contain several of the largest areas within the island of Newfoundland in the northern provinces, including the shelf of the Western Canadian Basin;
In China, the main gas production areas are concentrated in the Tari Basin

Which three countries are importers of natural gas. The share of fuel and energy industries in the structure of industrial production in Russia, the largest countries of the world and the CIS

World leaders in natural gas production in the world

Main gas production areas in the world

More articles on the topic

Geographical location of gas deposits

Gas production areas in the world

Leading countries in gas production

Country No. 1

Country No. 2

State No. 3

Country No. 4

State No. 5

State No. 6

State No. 7

Country No. 8

Country No. 9

Country No. 10

Country No. 11

Country No. 12

State No. 13

Video: The entire chain of natural gas production and treatment

Gas production

Gas export

Gas import

Gas consumption

Gas transportation

World gas reserves (2014)

Russia

Iran

Qatar

Turkmenistan

USA

Saudi Arabia

UAE

Venezuela

Nigeria

Algeria

World leaders in natural gas production in the world

Main gas production areas in the world