Global natural gas production by country 2020

As of 2020, the United States was the biggest producer of natural gas in the world. With a production of approximately 915 billion cubic meters that year, U.S. natural gas production was roughly 240 billion cubic meters more than the second biggest producer - Russia. These two nations are by far the biggest contributors to natural gas production on the planet. In 2019, global natural gas production reached a peak of four trillion cubic meters.

Global natural gas reserves

Global proved natural gas reserves totaled more than seven quadrillion cubic feet in 2019. The Middle East and the Commonwealth of Independent States are home to the largest regional natural gas reserves. The country with the largest proved natural gas reserves is Russia, which holds 38 trillion cubic meters. Russia’s state-owned energy group Gazprom held a 16.3 percent share of global natural gas in 2019.

Natural gas trade

In addition to having the largest natural gas reserves, Russia is also the world’s leading gas exporting country. The majority of Russia’s gas exports are via pipelines, and in 2019 it exported approximately 217 billion cubic meters through this method. In comparison, Qatar is the second largest natural gas exporter, but is the leading LNG exporting country.