Production volume of natural gas in African countries 2020

Algeria recorded the largest natural gas production in Africa as of 2020, reaching an output of around 85 billion standard cubic meters. Egypt and Nigeria followed as main producers: Each country registered an output of 62 billion and 50 billion cubic meters, respectively. That same year, the natural gas output on the African continent totaled some 230 billion cubic meters, a volume that increased by over 70 percent in the previous two decades.

The rise of new players

Africa houses roughly seven percent of the world’s proved natural gas reserves. In general, the main African gas producers also concentrate the largest reserves on the continent. Nigeria, for instance, registered around 200 trillion cubic feet in natural gas reserves as of 2021. However, apart from the established main producing countries, other African nations have been rising as potential players in the natural gas industry. An example is Mozambique, which, due to recent discoveries, moved up as the third-largest holder of natural gas reserves in Africa. Additionally, upcoming projects in countries such as Senegal and Ethiopia aim to increase the continent’s production and exportation of gas.

Growing participation in the international market

Due to the abundant natural gas reserves, Africa is expected to increase its standing in the global market in the coming years. By 2050, the volume of gas exported from the continent might rise threefold. In 2020, African LNG exports totaled 56.4 billion cubic meters, while around 26 billion cubic meters of gas were delivered via pipelines. In the same year, operational terminals for the export of LNG on the continent presented a combined capacity of 75 million metric tons per year - a volume expected to grow due to proposed terminals and others under construction.