Romania's natural gas imports down 36.3pct, production up 6.6pct., Jan.-May, 2023

Romania's natural gas imports down 36.3pct, production up 6.6pct., Jan.-May, 2023.

In the first five months of 2023, Romania imported 591,600 tonnes of oil equivalent (toe) of usable natural gas, down 36.3% (-337,800 toe) y-o-y, according to data with the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

January-May 2023, Romania's domestic production of natural gas was 3.154 million toe, up 6.6% (196,500 toe) y-o-y, told Agerpres.

According to estimates of the National Economic Strategy and Forecast Board (CNSP), natural gas production is estimated to rise at an average annual rate of 3.6% in 2023-2026, after a decrease by 1.1% to 7.343 million toe in 2022 .

In its latest energy balance forecast, CNSP predicts an increase in gas production by 5.6% to 7.755 million toe in 2023; by 2.3% to 7.935 million toe in 2024; by 2.7% to 8.15 million toe in 2025, and by 3.8% to 8.455 million toe in 2026.

As regards natural gas imports, a sharp decrease is forecast for 2023, by 23.1%, a trend that would stay in place until 2026, with an average annual rate of 2.2%.

Imports of 1.845 million toe are estimated in 2023, 1.79 million toe (minus 2.8%) in 2024, 1.755 million toe (minus 2.1%) in 2025, and 1.725 million toe (minus 1.8%) in 2026.

Romania's 2022 imports of natural declined 16.5% to about 2.4 million toe, while exports stood at 470,000 toe.