Gas imports increase by 11.8% in first five months of 2024, production up by 1.7%

  Romania imported, in the first five months of 2024, a quantity of usable natural gas of 661,400 tonnes of oil equivalent (toe), 11.8% higher (+69,900) compared to the similar period of last year, according to data centralized by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).The domestic production of natural gas totaled, in the mentioned period, 3.206 million toe, being 1.7% more than from January - May 2023 (+52,200 toe).According to the estimates of the National Strategy and Forecasting Commission (CNSP), the production of natural gas would grow, in the period 2024 - 2027, with an average annual rate of 1.7%, after an advance of 1.4% recorded in 2023.Thus, in the latest Forecast of the energy balance, CNSP predicts for 2024 a production of 7.675 million tonnes of oil equivalent, an increase of 0.6%, for 2025 of 7.79 million toe (plus 1.5%), for 2026 of 7.907 million toe (plus 1.5%) and for 2027 of 8.176 million toe (plus 3.4%).In terms of imports, for 2024 an increase of over 10% in the import of natural gas is forecast, after which a reduction trend is expected, with a more pronounced pace around 2027 (-6%), in line with the advance of production through the commissioning of new capacities, but also taking into account the maintenance of transit to foreign markets.CNSP estimates for 2024 imports of 2.392 million tep (plus 11.1%), for 2025 of 2.211 million tep (minus 7.6%), for 2026 of 2.150 million tep (minus 2.7%) and for 2027 of 2.022 million tep (minus 6%).The Romanian Energy Strategy Project 2025-2035, with the 2050 outlook, launched for debate by the Ministry of Energy, indicates that, according to the forecasts, until 2035 with the 2050 outlook, the production of natural gas from terrestrial resources is expected to decrease, maintaining a reduced degree of dependence on imports, being thus conditioned by the development of the reserves discovered in the Black Sea.The document emphasizes that in the short and medium term, safe reserves of natural gas can be increased by implementing new technologies that will lead to an increase in the degree of recovery in deposits and by implementing projects for deep exploration and areas in the Black Sea continental platform.The first natural gas from offshore projects is planned to become available on the market starting in 2027. According to the information published by the operator, plateau production will be reached within one year of the start of production and will last a total period of approximately ten years, at approximately 140,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. After this period, the asset will enter into natural decline for another eight years.