May 16, 2014

Norway supplies more than 20% of Europe’s natural gas needs

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Norway is the world's third-largest natural gas exporter, after Russia and Qatar. In 2013, Norway supplied 21% of total European natural gas needs. Norway's natural gas reaches the Continent mainly via its extensive export pipeline infrastructure (see map below), while a small fraction is exported as liquefied natural gas (LNG) by tanker. The largest recipients of Norway's natural gas exports in 2013 were the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

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EIA estimates that Norway produced 3.97 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of dry natural gas in 2013, a decline of 0.18 Tcf from 2012. EIA also estimates that Norway's net exports for 2013 were 3.8 Tcf of natural gas, which, because of its modest domestic demand, was 96% of its production.

Norway's single largest natural gas field is Troll, which, according to estimates from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, produced 1.0 Tcf in 2013, representing 27% of Norway's total natural gas production that year. Three other major producing fields in 2013 were Ormen Lange (0.76 Tcf), Asgard (0.34 Tcf), and Kvitebjorn (0.24 Tcf). These four fields accounted for just over 60% of Norway's total dry natural gas production in 2013.

For more information, see EIA's Norway Country Analysis Brief.

Principal contributors: Joseph Ayoub, Rebecca George