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Uzbekistan’s natural gas, oil, and gasoline production continues to decline
Uzbekistan has experienced further declines in its production of natural gas, oil, and gasoline during the first 11 months of 2024, despite rising exports of natural gas. Data released by the Statistics Agency highlights a 4.7% drop in gas extraction and a 7.3% decrease in oil production compared to the same period last year. Gasoline production also saw a decline for the fourth consecutive month.
Gas production trends
From January to November 2024, Uzbekistan extracted 40.75 billion cubic meters of natural gas, down by nearly 2 billion cubic meters or 4.7% compared to the same period in 2023. Monthly production figures illustrate a consistent decrease throughout the year.
Notably, natural gas production has been on a downward trajectory for six years, shrinking by 24% since 2018, from 61.59 billion cubic meters to an estimated 46.71 billion cubic meters in 2023. The reduction accelerated further in 2024.
Strategic goals at risk
The “Uzbekistan – 2030” strategy aims to increase natural gas production to 62 billion cubic meters annually, requiring a 33% rise in output over seven years. However, the ongoing decline casts doubt on meeting this target.
Rising imports and exports
As domestic production struggles, Uzbekistan has increased natural gas imports. Between January and November, the country spent $1.552 billion on gas imports—2.8 times higher than the same period in 2023. Conversely, natural gas exports grew by 16.5%, reaching $593 million, with a sharp surge observed in recent months.
Energy Minister Jurabek Mirzamahmudov has projected that Uzbekistan’s gas imports could reach 10–11 billion cubic meters annually by 2030.
Other energy sector developments
Coal production grew significantly during the reporting period, rising 27.5% year-on-year to 7.328 million tons. Electricity generation also increased by 4.5%, reaching 73.6 billion kWh compared to 70.4 billion kWh in 2023.
In contrast, oil production fell from 709,000 tons to 657,000 tons (-7.3%), while gas condensate production saw a slight increase from 1.094 million tons to 1.113 million tons. Diesel fuel production decreased by 2.9% to 912,000 tons, and gasoline output dropped by 2.4% to 1.186 million tons.
