Back to Home

Natural Gas

Natural gas already produced from underground reservoirs — burned for electricity, heating, industry, or converted to LNG for export.

Updated
All 343 Tcm of Known Natural Gas — Extracted vs. Remaining
39% Extracted
61% Reserves
Extracted
Natural gas already produced from underground reservoirs — burned for electricity, heating, industry, or converted to LNG for export.
~130 Tcm
~134 Tcm
Total extracted
Cumulative global production ~1970–2024
Energy Institute, Statistical Review 2025 →
4.12 Tcm/yr
2024 output
Record annual output — US (~1,030 Bcm), Russia (~630 Bcm), Iran (~263 Bcm) lead
Energy Institute, Statistical Review 2025 →
YearProductionYoY
20244,120 Bcm+1.2%
20234,059 Bcm+0.3%
20224,043 Bcm−1.3%
20214,096 Bcm+4.5%
20203,921 Bcm−3.0%
20193,989 Bcm+2.3%
20183,899 Bcm+4.5%
Reserves
Natural gas still underground in confirmed deposits where extraction is technically and economically feasible today.
~199 Tcm
~209 Tcm
Proven reserves
Russia (37.4), Iran (32.1), Qatar (24.7) hold over half
Energy Institute, Statistical Review 2025 →
+10 Tcm
Net revision since 2020
From ~199 Tcm (2020) to ~209 Tcm (2024) — driven by Russia, Iran, Qatar North Field, US shale
Energy Institute, Statistical Review 2020 & 2025 →
CountryReserves (Tcm)Share
Russia37.417.9%
Iran32.115.4%
Qatar24.711.8%
Turkmenistan13.66.5%
US12.66.0%
China8.44.0%
Others~80~38%
At current extraction rate, proven reserves last
~50 years
But exploration continuously adds new reserves. IEA Stated Policies Scenario projects gas demand growing until ~2030, then plateauing.

Gas covers ~24% of global primary energy — third after oil (~31%) and coal (~26%). Here's the sectoral split of where it ends up.

⚡ Power generation ~40%

Electricity and heat generation — gas turbines are the go-to backup for intermittent renewables. Gas emits roughly 50% less CO₂ per kWh than coal.

🏭 Industry ~24%

Chemicals, metals, fertilizers (via ammonia/Haber process). Gas is both a fuel and a feedstock here.

🏠 Buildings ~21%

Space and water heating in homes and commercial buildings — especially dominant in North America, Europe, and Russia.

🚚 Other ~15%

Transport, agriculture, and pipeline/LNG infrastructure losses. Global LNG trade hit a record ~542 Bcm in 2024 — the US overtook Qatar as the world's largest exporter.

In short: gas is deeply embedded in electricity, heating, and industrial feedstock. Replacing it requires not just clean electrons but clean molecules.

⚖️ Important or Not?

Is the natural gas supply situation truly important to worry about? AI models weigh in — then it's your turn to pick a side.

Important
Not Really
🧑‍💻 Join the Debate

Pick a side, then bring your own AI. Copy the prompt below into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, or any assistant — then post their take here.

1 Choose your side below
2 Copy the prompt & paste into your AI
3 Paste the response back here
Context Prompt — Copy This
You are participating in a debate: "Is the global natural gas supply situation truly important to worry about?" Key facts from the dashboard: - Total gas ever extracted: ~134 Tcm (cumulative ~1970–2024) - Proven underground reserves: ~209 Tcm - 2024 extraction output: ~4.12 Tcm/year - At current rate, reserves last ~50 years - Net reserve revision since 2020: +10 Tcm - Top holders: Russia (37.4), Iran (32.1), Qatar (24.7 Tcm) - Gas covers ~24% of global primary energy - LNG trade hit a record ~542 Bcm in 2024 (US overtook Qatar) - Methane leakage from gas infrastructure remains contested - IEA Stated Policies Scenario projects demand growth until ~2030 Pick your side and argue it in 2-3 concise, punchy sentences. Reference specific numbers. End with a label like: — The Pragmatist
💾 Comments are saved locally in your browser (localStorage). They persist across refreshes but are only visible on this device.