Uzbekistan sees sharp decline in energy resource production in Q1 2024

The Statistics Agency announced the industrial production data for January-March 2024.

It was noted that in the first three months of the current year, gas extraction amounted to 11.6 billion cubic meters, a decrease of 725 million cubic meters (which was 12.3 billion cubic meters in January-March 2022) or by 5.9 percent.

Gas extraction figures for January-March 2024:

January – 3.99 billion cubic meters (compared to 4.31 billion cubic meters in the same period last year);
February – 3.71 billion cubic meters (3.85 billion cubic meters);
March – 3.89 billion cubic meters (4.16 billion cubic meters).

For reference, in 2022, gas extraction also decreased from 53.8 billion to 51.67 billion cubic meters or by 4 percent, and in 2023 from 51.67 billion to 46.71 billion cubic meters or by 9.6 percent.

Changes in the volume of natural gas extraction from 2017 to 2023 (according to the Statistics Agency):

2017 – 56.4176 billion cubic meters;
2018 – 60.3965 billion cubic meters;
2019 – 60.5375 billion cubic meters;
2020 – 49.7362 billion cubic meters;
2021 – 53.802 billion cubic meters;
2022 – 51.6784 billion cubic meters;
2023 – 46.7103 billion cubic meters.

In recent years, natural gas extraction in Uzbekistan has been continuously declining. In particular, between 2019 and 2023, this decrease amounted to 22.8 percent. The reduction in local production is being compensated through the import of gas from Turkmenistan and Russia.

In the first quarter, coal extraction totaled 969 tons, which is a decrease of 20.2 tons or by 2 percent compared to the same period last year.

Also, during the reporting period, oil extraction decreased from 195.5 thousand tons to 179.1 thousand tons, while gas condensate production increased from 319.5 thousand tons to 326.3 thousand tons.

In the first quarter, electricity production increased by 0.8 percent or by 171 million kWh compared to the same period last year. Specifically, from January-March 2023, 19.92 billion kWh of electricity was produced, and this figure reached 20.09 billion kWh in the corresponding period of this year.

During the reporting period, diesel fuel production increased from 206 thousand tons to 211 thousand tons (+2.5 percent), while gasoline production decreased from 385 thousand tons to 360 thousand tons (-6.5 percent).

Passenger Vehicle Production

In the January-March 2024, the number of passenger vehicles produced (excluding special light vehicles) amounted to 84,745 units, a 36 percent increase compared to the same period last year (54,205 units).

Cobalt – 28,356 units (an increase of 59.5 percent over the same period last year);
Damas – 18,996 units (an increase of 1.7 percent);
Tracker – 12,025 units (an increase of 7.2 times);
Lacetti-Gentra – 8,811 units (a decrease of 20.9 percent);
Onix – 8,338 units (an increase of 14.9 times);
Kia – 4,980 units;
Chery – 2,990 units;
Haval – 205 units;
Exeed – 38 units;
Special light vehicles – 6,317 units.