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Gas imports down 16.3 pct, production up 4.1 pct in first 8 months
Romania imported, in the first eight months of 2023, a quantity of usable natural gas of 1.264 million tonnes of oil equivalent (toe), 16.3% less (-245,800 toe) than in the same period last year, according to data centralised by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
Domestic production of natural gas in January-August 2023 was 4.987 million toe, 4.1% higher than in the first eight months of 2022 (+194,600 toe).
According to estimates by the National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis, natural gas production is expected to rise at an average annual rate of 3.6% between 2023 and 2026, after a 1.1% decline (to 7.343 million toe) in 2022.
In its latest Energy Balance Forecast, the CNSP forecasts an increase in gas production of 5.6% in 2023 (to 7.755 million tonnes of oil equivalent), 2.3% in 2024 (to 7.935 million toe), 2.7% in 2025 (to 8.15 million toe) and 3.8% in 2026 (to 8.455 million toe).
As regards natural gas imports, a sharp decrease is forecast for 2023, with 23.1%, a trend that will continue until 2026, with an average annual rate of 2.2%.
Thus, for this year, imports are estimated at 1.845 million toe, for 2024, at 1.79 million toe (minus 2.8%), for 2025, at 1.755 million toe (minus 2.1%) and at 1.725 million toe (minus 1.8%), for 2026.
Last year, natural gas imports fell by 16.5% to around 2.4 million toe, while exports stood at 470,000 toe.