Energy Shift
Which Countries Produce the Most Natural Gas?
Which Countries Produce the Most Natural Gas?
Natural gas prices have risen since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, exacerbating an already tight supply situation.
Making matters worse, Moscow has since cut gas exports to Europe to multi-year lows, sending Europe’s gas price to almost 10 times its pre-war average.
Using data from BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy, the above infographic provides further context on the gas market by visualizing the world’s largest gas producers in 2021.
Natural Gas Consumption at All-Time High in 2021
Natural gas is part of nearly every aspect of our daily lives. It is used for heating, cooking, electricity generation, as fuel for motor vehicles, in fertilizers, and in the manufacture of plastics.
The fuel is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas and non-renewable fossil fuel that forms below the Earth’s surface. Although the Earth has enormous quantities of natural gas, much of it is in areas far from where the fuel is needed. To facilitate transport and reduce volume, natural gas is frequently converted into liquefied natural gas (LNG), in a process called liquefaction.
Despite global efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, natural gas consumption reached a new all-time high in 2021, surpassing the previous record set in 2019 by 3.3%.
Demand is expected to decline slightly in 2022 and remain subdued up to 2025, according to the International Energy Agency.
Region | 2021 Demand in Billion Cubic Meters (bcm) | 2022P (bcm) | 2025P (bcm) |
---|---|---|---|
Africa | 169 | 172 | 188 |
Asia Pacific | 895 | 907 | 990 |
Central and South America | 153 | 147 | 153 |
Eurasia | 634 | 619 | 632 |
Europe | 604 | 549 | 536 |
Middle East | 564 | 582 | 627 |
North America | 1,084 | 1,108 | 1,116 |
World | 4,103 | 4,083 | 4,243 |
The Asia Pacific region and the industrial sector are expected to be the main drivers of global gas consumption in the coming years
Natural Gas Production, by Country
The world’s top 10 producers of natural gas account for about 73% of total production.
Rank | Country | 2021 Production (bcm) | Share % |
---|---|---|---|
#1 | 🇺🇸 United States | 934.2 | 23.1% |
#2 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 701.7 | 17.4% |
#3 | 🇮🇷 Iran | 256.7 | 6.4% |
#4 | 🇨🇳 China | 209.2 | 5.2% |
#5 | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 177.0 | 4.4% |
#6 | 🇨🇦 Canada | 172.3 | 4.3% |
#7 | 🇦🇺 Australia | 147.2 | 3.6% |
#8 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 117.3 | 2.9% |
#9 | 🇳🇴 Norway | 114.3 | 2.8% |
#10 | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 100.8 | 2.5% |
#12 | 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | 79.3 | 2.0% |
#13 | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 74.2 | 1.8% |
#14 | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 67.8 | 1.7% |
#15 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 59.3 | 1.5% |
#16 | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 57.0 | 1.4% |
#17 | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 50.9 | 1.3% |
#18 | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 45.9 | 1.1% |
🌐 Rest of the World | 671.8 | 16.6% | |
🌐 Global Total | 4,036.9 | 100.0% |
Natural gas accounts for 32% of primary energy consumption in the United States, the world’s largest producer. Russia is the second biggest producer, and also has at least 37 trillion cubic meters of natural gas reserves, the most in the world.
China’s natural gas production grew by 7.8% in 2021, and it has nearly doubled since 2011. This sustained growth in production is partly down to government policies incentivizing coal-to-gas switching.
Europe’s Natural Gas Crisis
Russia has significantly reduced flows of natural gas to Europe since Western nations imposed sanctions on the Kremlin following the invasion of Ukraine. Before the war, the European Union (EU) imported about 40% of its natural gas from Russia.
The gas is transported by the Nord Stream system, a pair of offshore natural gas pipeline networks in Europe that run under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany.
Russian energy giant Gazprom recently halved the amount of natural gas flowing through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to 20% of capacity, blaming Western sanctions for a delay in the delivery in a necessary turbine. EU officials say Russia is “weaponizing” its gas supply.
Amid tensions, the EU bloc outlined a plan to phase out dependence on Russian fossil fuels. Lithuania ceased Russian gas imports at the beginning of April. Estonia’s and Latvia’s imports also dropped to zero at the start of that month. Bulgaria, the Netherlands, and Poland all announced that they do not intend to renew long-term contracts with Gazprom.
Despite these efforts, Europe remains dependent on Russia for its supply of natural gas, at least in the short and medium term.
Electrification
Visualizing China’s Cobalt Supply Dominance by 2030
Chinese companies are expected to control 46% of the cobalt supply by 2030.
Visualizing China’s Cobalt Supply Dominance by 2030
Chinese dominance over critical minerals used in technologies like smartphones, electric vehicles (EVs), and solar power has become a growing concern for the U.S. and other Western countries.
Currently, China refines 68% of the world’s nickel, 40% of copper, 59% of lithium, and 73% of cobalt, and is continuing to expand its mining operations.
This graphic visualizes the total cobalt supply from the top 10 producers in 2030, highlighting China’s dominance. The data comes from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, as of July 2024.
Cobalt production (tonnes) | Non-Chinese Owned Production | Chinese Owned Production | 2030F (Total) | 2030F (Share) |
---|---|---|---|---|
🇨🇩 DRC | 94,989 | 109,159 | 204,148 | 67.9% |
🇮🇩 Indonesia | 23,288 | 25,591 | 48,879 | 16.3% |
🇦🇺 Australia | 7,070 | 0 | 7,070 | 2.4% |
🇵🇭 Philippines | 5,270 | 0 | 5,270 | 1.8% |
🇷🇺 Russia | 4,838 | 0 | 4,838 | 1.6% |
🇨🇦 Canada | 4,510 | 0 | 4,510 | 1.5% |
🇨🇺 Cuba | 4,496 | 0 | 4,496 | 1.5% |
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 541 | 3,067 | 3,608 | 1.2% |
🇹🇷 Turkey | 2,835 | 0 | 2,835 | 0.9% |
🇳🇨 New Caledonia | 2,799 | 0 | 2,799 | 0.9% |
🌍 ROW | 10,336 | 1,901 | 12,237 | 4.1% |
Total | 160,974 | 139,718 | 300,692 | 100.0% |
China’s Footprint in Africa
Cobalt is a critical mineral with a wide range of commercial, industrial, and military applications. It has gained significant attention in recent years due to its use in battery production. Today, the EV sector accounts for 40% of the global cobalt market.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) currently produces 74% of the world’s cobalt supply. Although cobalt deposits exist in regions like Australia, Europe, and Asia, the DRC holds the largest reserves by far.
China is the world’s leading consumer of cobalt, with nearly 87% of its cobalt consumption dedicated to the lithium-ion battery industry.
Although Chinese companies hold stakes in only three of the top 10 cobalt-producing countries, they control over half of the cobalt production in the DRC and Indonesia, and 85% of the output in Papua New Guinea.
Given the DRC’s large share of global cobalt production, many Chinese companies have expanded their presence in the country, acquiring projects and forming partnerships with the Congolese government.
According to Benchmark, Chinese companies are expected to control 46% of the global cobalt mined supply by 2030, a 3% increase from 2023.
By 2030, the top 10 cobalt-producing countries will account for 96% of the total mined supply, with just two countries—the DRC and Indonesia—contributing 84% of the total.
Energy Shift
Visualizing the Decline of Copper Usage in EVs
Copper content in EVs has steadily decreased over the past decade, even as overall copper demand rises due to the increasing adoption of EVs.
Visualizing the Decline of Copper Usage in EVs
Copper intensity in passenger battery electric vehicles (BEVs) has steadily decreased over the last decade, driven by numerous technological advancements alongside increasing usage of alternative materials such as aluminum.
In this graphic, we visualize the evolution of copper demand in various subcomponents of passenger battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from 2015 to 2030F, along with total global copper demand driven by EVs for the same period. This data comes exclusively from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.
Copper Intensity Per Car
According to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, the copper intensity per vehicle is expected to decline by almost 38 kg, from 99 kg in 2015 to 62 kg by 2030.
Year | Wiring | Motor | Copper Foil | Busbar | Auxiliary Motor | Charging Cable | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | 30 | 8 | 41.26 | 13.23 | 2.87 | 3.96 | 99.32 |
2016 | 29 | 8 | 38.68 | 13.37 | 2.85 | 3.92 | 95.82 |
2017 | 28 | 7 | 32.67 | 12.72 | 2.84 | 3.90 | 87.13 |
2018 | 27 | 7 | 26.39 | 11.87 | 2.82 | 3.88 | 78.96 |
2019 | 26 | 7 | 28.00 | 10.85 | 2.78 | 3.82 | 78.45 |
2020 | 25 | 7 | 24.71 | 10.24 | 2.73 | 3.76 | 73.44 |
2021 | 24 | 6 | 25.27 | 9.29 | 2.69 | 3.70 | 70.95 |
2022 | 23 | 7 | 28.44 | 8.56 | 2.65 | 3.64 | 73.29 |
2023 | 22 | 7 | 29.87 | 8.12 | 2.61 | 3.58 | 73.18 |
2024F | 21 | 7 | 27.73 | 7.67 | 2.56 | 3.52 | 69.48 |
2025F | 20 | 7 | 27.79 | 7.19 | 2.52 | 2.51 | 67.01 |
2026F | 20 | 7 | 27.78 | 6.63 | 2.48 | 3.41 | 67.30 |
2027F | 19 | 8 | 27.55 | 6.15 | 2.44 | 3.35 | 66.49 |
2028F | 18 | 8 | 26.77 | 5.70 | 2.40 | 3.30 | 64.17 |
2029F | 18 | 8 | 26.17 | 5.51 | 2.39 | 3.28 | 63.35 |
2030F | 17 | 8 | 25.63 | 5.44 | 2.37 | 3.26 | 61.70 |
One of the most significant factors driving this decline is thrifting, where engineers and manufacturers continuously improve the efficiency and performance of various components, leading to reduced copper usage. A key example of this is in battery production, where the thickness of copper foil used in battery anodes has significantly decreased.
In 2015, Benchmark estimated copper foil usage was just over 41 kg per vehicle (at an average thickness of 10 microns), but by 2030, it is projected to fall to 26 kg as manufacturers continue to adopt thinner foils.
Similarly, automotive wiring systems have become more localized, with advances in high-voltage wiring and modular integration allowing for reduced copper content in wiring harnesses.
Copper used in wiring has dropped from 30 kg per vehicle in 2015 to a projected 17 kg by 2030.
Newer, more compact power electronics and improved thermal management in motors and charging cables have also contributed to the reduction in copper usage.
Substitution has also played a role, with alternatives such as aluminum increasingly being used in components like busbars, wiring harnesses, and charging cable applications.
Aluminum’s lighter weight and lower cost have made it a practical alternative to copper in specific applications, though the additional space required to achieve the same level of conductivity can limit its use in certain cases.
Benchmark estimates that copper used in automotive wire harnesses has declined by 30% between 2015 and 2024.
The Road Ahead
Despite reductions in per-vehicle copper usage, the outlook for copper demand from the EV sector remains strong due to the sector’s growth.
Year | EV Sector Copper Demand (tonnes) |
---|---|
2015 | 56K |
2016 | 82K |
2017 | 111K |
2018 | 166K |
2019 | 179K |
2020 | 237K |
2021 | 447K |
2022 | 696K |
2023 | 902K |
2024F | 1.0M |
2025F | 1.2M |
2026F | 1.5M |
2027F | 1.7M |
2028F | 2.0M |
2029F | 2.2M |
2030F | 2.5M |
Benchmark’s analysis indicates that by 2030, copper demand driven by EVs alone will exceed 2.5 million tonnes, securing copper’s critical role in the transition to a low-carbon future.
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