ANKARA: The Gas Export Countries Forum (GECF) reported that European natural gas production fell from 19 billion cubic meters to 214 billion cubic meters last year.
Regional production data revealed in GECF’s 2024 Annual Natural Gas Report shows that Turkey has made significant production progress in the Black Sea.
The report showed that global natural gas production rose 0.8% year-on-year to 4.08 trillion cubic meters last year. North America, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region led this growth, but gas production declined in Eurasia and Europe.
In Europe, the three main producers – Norway, the Netherlands, and the UK – saw production decline by 7 billion cubic meters (bcm), 5.5 cubic meters, and 4.6 cubic meters respectively.
The report says this decline is due to prolonged maintenance and shutdown of several mature gas fields.
Norwegian gas production is set to fall to 126 bcm in 2023, down 5.3 percent from last year, largely due to extended maintenance periods at the Troll field, Norway’s main offshore production site in the North Sea, and the Kollsnes gas processing plant.
In particular, the Troll gas field recorded a 15.5 percent contraction in domestic gas production of 33.6 cubic meters.
Closer to home, a major breakthrough was reported in Turkey’s Black Sea natural gas discovery.
“With the start of gas production from the Sakarya gas field, Turkey has made significant progress in increasing domestic gas supply and taken an important step to reduce import dependence and strengthen energy security,” said the report.
In Europe, efforts are being made to secure and expand the region’s gas production capacity with a strategic plan to develop large gas fields in the Romanian Black Sea.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on April 19 that efforts are being made to increase natural gas production in the Black Sea Sakarya gas field, and daily natural gas production will increase to 5 million cubic meters from May. daily production is now 3.7 million cubic meters.
However, LNG led to lower imports in Europe and Turkey, due to higher gas production and weaker gas consumption.
