OECD Gas Production Higher in 2017: IEA
Natural gas production in the OECD region grew by 2.4% last year, according to data released by the International Energy Agency (IEA) April 12.
The Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has 35 developed nation members who broadly, but not precisely, correlate with the IEA’s membership of 30 countries.
The US accounted for 56% of the OECD gas production total in 2017, followed by Canada 14%, Norway 9%, Australia 8%, with Mexico, Netherlands and UK each on 3%.
The IEA noted that 2017 saw year on year increases in the production volumes of Australia (up 20.5%), Norway (6.1%), Canada (5.7%) and the US (up 0.7% but on a large volume) – but decreases in production by Netherlands (minus 13.2%), Mexico (minus 12.2%). It also pointed to strong year on year growth rates last year for gas consumption in several OECD Europe countries.
OECD imports of gas increased by 5.1% to almost 105bn m3 in 2017, the IEA said, with volumes imported by OECD Europe up 6.8% due to high demand in power generation, up 2.4% in OECD Asia Oceania, but relatively flat (-0.4%) in OECD Americas (which covers US, Canada and Mexico - plus only Chile in South America).
The IEA also published a graphic illustrating which country-to-country LNG trade routes saw more, and which less, traded volumes in 2017. That, along with the full ‘Key Natural Gas Trends 2017’ document, are available from the IEA website by clicking here.
Also April 12, the IEA published its Key Electricity Trends 2017 which can be accessed here; it showed a year-on-year decline in use of gas's share of the fuel mix for power generation in OECD Americas (to 28% in 2017 from 30% in 2016), contrasting with an increase in OECD Europe (to 18%, from 16%). Heavily coal-reliant Germany was OECD Europe's top net electricity exporter again in 2017.
As of 2018, Chile, Iceland, Israel, Latvia and Slovenia are OECD members but not in the IEA; Chile since 2010 has remained a candidate country for IEA membership (The banner graphic is courtesy of Nasa)