Largest Natural Gas Producing Countries in the World

Largest Natural Gas Producing Countries in the World: The top 10 largest natural gas producing countries are the United States, Russia, Iran, China, Canada, Qatar, Australia, Norway, Saudi Arabia, and Algeria. In 2022, the world made more natural gas than the year before, with a 5..7% increase. Through 2030, annual global gas production is forecasted to increase by a CAGR of 0.71%.

At over 25% of global production, the United States is the world’s largest producer of natural gas. Also, the US exports more natural gas than any other country in the world. While some natural gas is imported by the US to assist meet domestic demand, the bulk of natural gas used in the US is generated domestically.

In this article, we will look into the details of the top 10 largest natural gas producing countries in the world, along with their percentage, and their impact on the global level.

About Natural Gas Producing Countries in the World

There are so many countries that produce natural gas with high percentages. The United States is the world’s largest producer of natural gas with 1.03 trillion cubic meters of natural gas production in the year 2022. Followed by Russia and Iran as the second and third-highest natural gas producing countries with 699 and 244 billion cubic meters of annual natural gas production. In this article, we will look into the list of top ten natural gas producing countries along with their contributions to global natural gas production.

List of Largest Natural Gas Producing Countries in the World

The following table lists the top 10 natural gas producing countries:

Country	Natural Gas Production (cubic meters)
United States	1.03 trillion
Russia	699 billion
Iran	244 billion
China	219 billion
Canada	205 billion
Qatar	170 billion
Australia	162 billion
Norway	128 billion
Saudi Arabia	105 billion
Algeria	102 billion

Largest Natural Gas Producing Country in the World – United States

The United States is the world’s largest producer of natural gas with 1.03 trillion cubic meters of natural gas production in the year 2022.

• Approximately 25% of the world’s natural gas output is produced in the US, making it the largest producer in the world.
• Over the last ten years, the amount of coal produced has surged by over 350 billion cubic meters due to technological breakthroughs in extraction such as hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” and horizontal drilling.
• The United States is not only the world’s largest producer of natural gas but also its largest consumer.
• The United States of America consumed 881 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2022, mostly for power generation and residential heating.

Second Largest Natural Gas Producing Country in the World – Russia

Russia is the world’s second largest producer of natural gas with 699 billion cubic meters of natural gas production in the year 2022.

• Russia possesses the world’s largest known deposits of natural gas and is the world’s second-largest producer and exporter of the gas.
• Gazprom, the country’s state-owned energy company, is said to own 16.3% of the world’s natural gas reserves.
• Another significant gas producer in the country is Novatek.
• Production was historically focused in West Siberia, but the International Energy Agency reports that within the last ten years, investment has moved to Yamal, Eastern Siberia, the Far East, and the offshore Arctic.

Third Largest Natural Gas Producing Country in the World – Iran

Iran is the world’s third largest producer of natural gas with 244 billion cubic meters of natural gas production in the year 2022.

• With almost 6% of the world’s total production, Iran is the third-largest producer of natural gas.
• In terms of natural gas reserves, the country in the Middle East comes in second.
• Its natural gas infrastructure, however, lags well behind those of the top two producers.
• Iran produced just roughly one-third as much natural gas as Russia and one-quarter as much as the United States in 2022.

Fourth Largest Natural Gas Producing Country in the World – China

China is the world’s fourth largest producer of natural gas with 219 billion cubic meters of natural gas production in the year 2022.

• China’s government has offered incentives to switch from coal to natural gas in order to fulfill emissions objectives and minimize air pollution in recent years.
• Even though China’s natural gas output has nearly doubled over the last ten years, about half of its needs are still met by imports.
• Its major suppliers include the US, Malaysia, Australia, Turkmenistan, Russia, and Qatar.
• The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that China’s government revealed its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–25) in March 2022.
• The plan sets the goal for domestic natural gas production at 22.3 billion cubic feet per day by 2025, or 3.0 billion cubic feet per day more than domestic production in 2021.

Fifth Largest Natural Gas Producing Country in the World – Canada

Canada is the world’s fifth largest producer of natural gas with 205 billion cubic meters of natural gas production in the year 2022.

• With 83 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves, the majority of Canada’s natural gas production comes from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB).
• Apart from the WCSB, significant natural gas deposits can be discovered in the offshore fields close to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, the Arctic region, and the Pacific coast.
• Canada, which primarily trades with the US, is a major exporter of natural gas and depends only on pipelines.
• In 2022, the US’s northern neighbor provided 99 percent of all its imports of natural gas.
• Canada is an unlikely alternative to Russia for supplying natural gas to Europe since it lacks LNG infrastructure.

Sixth Largest Natural Gas Producing Country in the World – Qatar

Qatar is the world’s sixth largest producer of natural gas with 170 billion cubic meters of natural gas production in the year 2022.

• With the third highest proven natural gas reserves in the world, Qatar is the sixth-largest producer of natural gas worldwide.
• Most of its reserves are found in the offshore North Field, which it shares with Iran and is the largest natural gas field in the world.
• In addition, the Middle Eastern nation is the world’s second-largest exporter of LNG and the third-largest exporter of natural gas.
• In an attempt to increase its presence in the global natural gas market, Qatar has taken steps in recent years to better utilize its resources.
• To compete with Russian LNG supplies, state-owned Qatar Petroleum is seeking to expand its LNG export market.

Seventh Largest Natural Gas Producing Country in the World – Australia

Australia is the world’s seventh largest producer of natural gas with 162 billion cubic meters of natural gas production in the year 2022.

• Since 2009, Australia has generated 113 billion cubic meters of natural gas output.
• The vast gas fields on Australia’s North West Shelf contain almost all of the country’s natural gas reserves, which are used as feedstock for seven LNG facilities.
• Over the past ten years, Australia’s LNG exports have increased significantly as a result of the startup of multiple new production facilities.
• Australia currently possesses the world’s greatest operational LNG export capability.

Eighth Largest Natural Gas Producing Country in the World – Norway

Norway is the world’s eighth largest producer of natural gas with 128 billion cubic meters of natural gas production in the year 2022.

• Norway ranks third in terms of natural gas exports and eighth in terms of natural gas production worldwide.
• As the primary provider of natural gas to the European market, the Scandinavian nation has logically replaced Russia.
• The government approved 19 oil and gas extraction projects in Norway in the middle of 2023.
• The country’s natural gas businesses have increased production in response to the rising demand.

Ninth Largest Natural Gas Producing Country in the World – Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is the world’s ninth largest producer of natural gas with 105 billion cubic meters of natural gas production in the year 2022.

• Saudi Arabia, the ninth-largest producer of natural gas, has increased its output to a record 105 billion cubic meters of the energy source in the last five years, a rise of more than 10%.
• The expansion of independent natural gas well development was a major factor in this production surge.
• Energy companies hoping to develop Jafurah, the nation’s largest unconventional gas field, near the Persian Gulf have been awarded contracts by state-run Saudi Aramco.
• The country does not currently export its natural gas production, but by 2030 the government intends to start doing so.

Tenth Largest Natural Gas Producing Country in the World – Algeria

Algeria is the world’s tenth largest producer of natural gas with 102 billion cubic meters of natural gas production in the year 2022.

• Algeria is one of the top ten nations that produce natural gas. The country’s output was up 17 billion cubic meters over 2020 in 2022, despite a very slight decline of almost 2 billion cubic meters from the year before.
• Algeria possesses the world’s fifth-largest LNG export capacity. Even though its natural gas exports fell by 10.6% in 2022 compared to 2021, they were still up 24% from 2020.
• Nearly 85% of the nation’s exports in 2022 were used to meet the natural gas needs of Europe.
• Algeria and Italy inked a deal last year to boost Italy’s imports of natural gas from the North African nation.

Conclusion – Largest Natural Gas Producing Countries in the World

According to the World Energy Administration’s International Energy Outlook 2023, natural gas is the fossil fuel with the quickest rate of growth in the world. By 2050, it is expected that its use will have increased from 4.36 trillion cubic meters in 2022 to a range of 4.8 trillion to 6.8 trillion cubic meters. There has been a significant increase in consumption in the Middle East and Africa, as well as in countries like China and India. Natural gas is primarily being used to fuel rising industrial production in the industrial sector and to replace retiring coal-fired power generation in the electric power sector, which is the primary cause of this increased consumption.

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FAQs on Largest Natural Gas Producing Countries in the World

Which country is the largest producer of natural gas in the world?

The United States is the largest producer of natural gas in the world.

Which country is richest in natural gas?

Russia is the richest country in terms of natural gas with largest proved natural gas reserves.

Who is the largest producer of LPG in the world?

Saudi Aramco is the world’s largest manufacturer of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).

Which part of India is rich in natural gas?

In Gujarat and the Bombay High Basin, natural gas reserves account for over 70% of India’s total.

Who is Asia’s largest supplier of natural gas?

China is Asia’s largest supplier of natural gas.

Who is the third largest producer of natural gas?

Iran is the third largest producer of natural gas.

Who is the largest consumer of gas in the world?

The world’s largest consumer of natural gas is the United State.

Where does India get LPG from?

Qatar is India’s main supplier of LPG imports, but its percentage of imports decreased from 32% in 2012–13 to 27% in 2022–2023.

Who produces natural gas in India?

Natural gas production is done by ONGC and OIL in India.

Which is the No. 1 gas company in India?

Maharatna ONGC is India’s largest crude oil and natural gas company.