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Gas imports down 26.4% pct, production up 4.6 pct in first seven months of 2023
Romania imported, in the first seven months of 2023, a quantity of usable natural gas of 956,900 tonnes of oil equivalent (toe), 26.4% (-342,700 toe) less than in the same period last year, according to data centralized by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
Domestic production of natural gas in January-July 2023 amounted to more than 4.367 million toe, 4.6% (193,000 toe) higher than in the first seven months of last year.
According to estimates by the National Commission for Strategy and Forecast, 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 estimates 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, by 23.1%, is forecast for 2023, 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 for 2026 at 1.725 million toe (minus 1.8%).
Last year, natural gas imports fell by 16.5% to around 2.4 million toe, while exports stood at 470,000 toe.