Gas imports went up by 13% in first 4 months of 2024. Output went up by 1.1%

Romania imported, in the first 4 months of 2024 a quantity of 493,200 tons of natural gas oil equivalent (TEP), 13% higher (+56,70) than in the same period of 2023, according to data centralized by the National Statistic Institute (INS).   The domestic natural gas output amounted to 2.569 million tep, 1.1% higher than the one of January-April 2023 (+28,600 tep).   According to estimates of the National Commission of Strategy and Prognosis (CNSP), the natural gas production is estimated to go up with an average annual rate of 3.6% over 2023-2026.   The lastest prognosis of energy balance, CNSP foresees a gas production increase of 2.3% in 2024 (o 7.935 million tep), for 2025 by 2.7% (to 8.15 million tep) and for 2026 by 3.8% (to 8.455 million tep).   As for natural gas imports, a quantity of 1.79 million tep(minus 2.8%) is foreseen this year), 1.755 million tep (minus 2.1%) in 2025, 1.725 million tep (minus 1.8%) in 2026. Romania's Energy Strategy Project for 2025-2035 with the perspective of 2050, launched on Friday by the Energy Ministry on Friday, points out that according to prognoses, until 2035, the natural gas production from land resources is expected to drop, maintaining a reduced dependence degree versus imports being conditioned by the development of reserves discovered in the Black Sea.   The document points out that on a short and medium term, natural gas reserves can go up by implementing new technologies leading to the increase of the recovery degree from reserves and by implementing projects for deep exploration and exploration of Black Sea areas.   The first natural gas from offshore projects is planned to become available as of 2027. According to data released by the operator, output will be reached a year after the beginning of production and will last for about ten years, at about 140,000 oil barrels a day. After this period, there will be a natural decline of 8 years.   The strategy also mentions that the underground storage of natural gas has a major role in ensuring natural gas supply, facilitating the balance of consumption-domestic production – natural gas imports, by covering consumption tops caused by temperature variations, as well as maintaining the best operation of the national natural gas transport in the cold season. At the same time, the underground storage of natural gas has a strategiscrole of ensuring natural gas supply from storage areas in special cases ( calamities, earthquakes and other unforeseen events).   Romania's total active storage capacity is now about 33.864 Twh/cycle, there are 6 storage areas, of which 5 by SNGN Romgaz, Ploiesti Depogaz Natural Gas Storage branch, with a capacity of 30.709 Twh/cycle and another one of 3.155 Twh/cycle operated by Depomures SA.   At national level,in the last 5 years, the ratio between the stored gas volume and the annual cosumption is about 24.95%, half of values practiced in Europe. In winter, the ratio between stored gas and daily gas consumption is about 46%.   About 44% of households in Romania are connected to the natural gas network, a third of Rmanian households being heated directly with natural gas. The connection level is significantly lower than in other European countries, despite local natural gas resources.   Access to natural gas is different in the urban and rural areas. In 2020 78% of towns and only 25% of villages were supplied with natural gas. There are differences between country areas, the counties of Cluj, Alba, Mures, Sibiu, Brasov, Dambovita, Prahova and Ilfov being significantly covered, while localities in northern Moldova, Buzau and in the vicinity of the capital being covered to a lower extent, despite the higher population density.