Gazprom Sets a Negative Record: How Much Gas Did Russia Export in 2022?

In 2022, Gazprom's foreign exports amounted to 100.9 billion cubic meters, compared to 185.1 billion cubic meters the previous year, reported the head of the Russian monopoly, Alexey Miller. Such low export figures have not been seen since 1990 when exports totaled 110 billion cubic meters, according to Kommersant.

Against the backdrop of falling exports, production decreased in 2022 to 412.6 billion cubic meters, down from 514.8 billion the previous year. This level of production, at 418.5 billion cubic meters, was only recorded once before, in 2015.

“This gas is more than enough for us to fulfill all our obligations to consumers within the country and deliver the necessary export volumes. We will supply 243.1 billion cubic meters of gas to our Russian consumers. 100.9 billion cubic meters will go to countries in the distant abroad,” Miller's announcement stated.

Amidst the military operations in Ukraine, Gazprom has gradually closed off gas supplies to Europe via the Yamal-Europe pipeline, then through Nord Stream, and sharply reduced exports to Ukraine. Currently, only two routes are operational: the TurkStream and transit through Ukraine, but overall supplies do not exceed 2 billion cubic meters per month.

The EU’s annual gas exports are about 61 billion cubic meters, a significant drop from 146 billion in 2021. The reduction in supplies to Europe has led to gas prices remaining record-high throughout the year.

The increase in the second half of the year also reduced exports to Turkey, which fell by 19.5 percent this year compared to 2021, totaling 21.5 billion cubic meters.

The only direction where exports increased in 2022 was China, where delivery volumes exceeded contractual levels on certain days in December. “The global gas market will develop at high rates, and according to long-term forecasts, consumption will increase by 20 percent over the next 20 years. According to the same forecast, in 20 years, consumption in China will account for 40 percent of the entire global increase,” said Alexey Miller. He also added that Russian fields “will provide gas for several more years and some deposits will finish their production by 2141, perhaps even later.”

Exports in 2023 may decline further. Currently, Gazprom is supplying about 68 million cubic meters to the EU daily, with no opportunities for further growth due to the need for political decisions to restore the use of the Yamal-Europe pipeline or to increase transit supplies through Ukraine. If gas exports to China reach the expected 25 billion cubic meters in 2023, and supplies to Turkey and the EU remain at current levels, Gazprom's total exports to distant abroad may fall to 75 billion cubic meters. In that case, the volume of Russian gas supplies to the EU will, for the first time in history, be lower than supplies from the USA.

In 2022, Europe imported about 43 million tons (56 billion cubic meters) of LNG from the USA.