Natural gas is a fossil fuel that is primarily composed of methane gas with small amounts of other hydrocarbons such as ethane, propane, and butane. It is formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals that were buried deep underground and subjected to heat and pressure over millions of years.
This gas is a versatile and clean-burning fuel that has a wide range of applications, including heating homes and businesses, generating electricity, fueling vehicles, and powering industrial processes. It is also used as a feedstock in the production of chemicals and other materials.
It is often extracted from underground reservoirs using drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) techniques. The extracted gas is then processed to remove impurities and transported through pipelines or as liquefied natural gas (LNG) to its destination.
Although natural gas is considered to be a relatively clean-burning fossil fuel compared to coal and oil, its extraction and use can have negative environmental impacts, such as air and water pollution, methane emissions, and habitat destruction. As such, there is ongoing debate about the role of natural gas in the transition to a more sustainable and low-carbon energy system.
Today there are over 150 countries that extract natural gas; here is the 10 largest producer of natural gas in the world.
List of Natural Gas Producing Countries in the World
10. Algeria
Algeria is the 10th largest producer of natural gas in the world. Total natural gas production of this country alone accounts for 2.3% of the world’s total natural gas produced. Algeria exports about 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually to different countries. Many studies have indicated that the country holds large oil reserves that are still not explored and exploited. However, the current government has taken steps to increase the annual production in the future.
Total annual production is approximately 2.8 trillion cubic feet
9. Australia
The total annual production of natural gas in Australia was approximately 3.3 trillion cubic feet (Tcf). Australia is one of the largest natural gas producers in the Asia-Pacific region and is a major exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to countries such as Japan, China, and South Korea. The majority of natural gas production in Australia comes from offshore fields, particularly the North West Shelf and the Browse Basin. The development of new gas projects in Australia’s eastern states is expected to increase domestic production in the coming years.
8. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is the 8th largest producer of natural gas in the world. As most of us know, this country is one of the largest producer and exporter of fossil fuel products like crude oil and other petroleum products. However, this country also holds one of the largest natural gas reserves in the Gulf region. Total production of natural gas in this country alone accounts for 2.4% of total world natural gas production. One of the notable things about the natural can production in this country is that majority portion of the natural gas produced is used up for meeting domestic needs, and only the remaining is exported.
Total annual production is approximately 3.9 trillion cubic feet
7. Norway
Norway is the 7th largest producer of natural gas in the world. The total production of this country accounts for almost 3.1% of the world natural gas production. The economy of Norway is highly dependent on natural gas export. One of the notable things about this country’s natural gas production is that majority of the natural gas produced is exported to other countries. The government has taken steps to exploit more of their natural gas resources, but, is held back due to some raise of concerns about the effect it could have on its environment.
Total annual production is approximately 4.5 trillion cubic feet
6. Canada
Canada is the 6th largest producer of natural gas in the world. This country accounts for 4% of total gas production in the world today. The country has a constant production till 2015 and has increased their production ever since. The government has invested heavily in this sector for high production and export. Estimates indicated this industry alone employs almost 6.2 million people in Canada today.
Total annual production is 5.3 trillion cubic feet
5. Qatar
Qatar is the 5th largest producer of natural gas in the world. Qatar is the 2nd largest exporter of natural gas in the world and holds a record for exporting the most natural gas. The country has invested a large amount of money into the natural gas extraction and export infrastructure. Qatar has one of the highest potential and largest natural gas reserves in the world and is estimated to maintain this position for a long time. The production in this country accounts for 4.6% of total world production.
Total annual production is approximately 9.9 trillion cubic feet
4. Iran
Iran is the 4th largest producer of natural gas in the world. This country is estimated to account for almost 4.8% of world’s total production. This country alone holds about 17% of worlds total gas reserves. However, Iran has exploited only a small portion of its natural gas resources and is expected to increase the production quantity for both domestic and export purposes.
Total annual production is 8.4 trillion cubic feet
3. China
China is the 3rd largest producer of natural gas in the world. One of the notable things about this country is that it does not export any significant quantity of natural gas because a majority of the produced quantity is spent to meet the domestic needs in the country. This country is also one of the main producers of greenhouse gases and studies indicate that the country air is polluted to an extent that people have to make sure they wear a mask. This had led the country to reduce the use of fossil fuel burning and embrace using efficient natural gas instead. China’s production quantity accounts for 3.3% of the total world natural gas produced.
Total annual production is approximately 17.5 trillion cubic feet
2. Russia
Russia is the 2nd largest producer of natural gas in the world. This country accounts for almost 18.6% of the total world natural gas production. The country is also the largest exporter of natural gas in the world. This country exports its natural gas to European countries and other nations. Majority of the gas production interests are held by the United States owned companies.
Total annual production is approximately 22.5 trillion cubic feet
1. The United States of America
The United States of America is the largest natural gas producer in the world. This country accounts for 20.4% of total world natural gas production. One of the notable things about the United States of America is that the country uses the majority of its natural gas produced for its own domestic purposes and only 5% of the natural gas is exported. Studies indicated that the country is increasing the production each year despite many raising concerns over environmental issues it causes.
Total annual production is approximately 34 trillion cubic feet
All the details mentioned above were collected from several websites and the ranking was done only on the basis of the quantity of natural gas produced annually. Hope this article helped you.
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