Uzbekistan's gas and oil production shrinks, coal and electricity output rises

In the first nine months of 2024, Uzbekistan experienced a significant decline in gas and oil production, with gas output falling by 4.8% and oil production by 7.3%. Despite the drop in domestic extraction, gas exports have surged by 16.5%, reaching $480 million since the beginning of the year, according to data from the State Statistics Agency.

From January to September 2024, Uzbekistan produced 35.16 billion cubic meters of gas, marking a reduction of 1.67 billion cubic meters compared to the same period in 2023. Gas extraction figures for each month show a steady decline compared to the previous year’s data. For example, in September 2024, gas production stood at 3.55 billion cubic meters, down from 3.7 billion cubic meters in September 2023.

Here are the gas extraction figures for the first nine months of 2024, compared with the same period in 2023:

• January: 3.99 billion cubic meters (2023: 4.31 billion cubic meters)
• February: 3.71 billion cubic meters (2023: 3.85 billion cubic meters)
• March: 3.89 billion cubic meters (2023: 4.16 billion cubic meters)
• April: 3.7 billion cubic meters (2023: 3.94 billion cubic meters)
• May: 3.52 billion cubic meters (2023: 3.6 billion cubic meters)
• June: 3.54 billion cubic meters (2023: 3.7 billion cubic meters)
• July: 3.78 billion cubic meters (2023: 3.9 billion cubic meters)
• August: 3.78 billion cubic meters (2023: 3.9 billion cubic meters)
• September: 3.55 billion cubic meters (2023: 3.7 billion cubic meters)

Uzbekistan’s gas production has been on a downward trend for several years. In 2022, gas output dropped by 4% from 53.8 billion to 51.67 billion cubic meters. The trend continued in 2023, with production falling by 9.6% to 46.71 billion cubic meters.

As domestic production declined, Uzbekistan's gas imports increased significantly. Between January and September 2024, the country imported $1.278 billion worth of gas, nearly 3.6 times more than in the same period of 2023. However, the rise in imports has not slowed down exports, which grew by 16.5%, generating $480 million during the same period. Notably, gas exports saw a sharp increase in the last few months.

In other sectors, Uzbekistan’s coal production saw a 19.4% increase, reaching 5.33 million tons in the first nine months of 2024. Meanwhile, oil production decreased by 7.3%, from 585,000 tons to 542,000 tons, while gas condensate production grew slightly from 902,000 tons to 922,000 tons.

Electricity generation also rose during the reporting period, increasing by 4.3%, or 2.5 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), compared to the same period in 2023. Total electricity production reached 60.3 billion kWh by September 2024, up from 57.8 billion kWh in the previous year.

In terms of fuel production, diesel output rose slightly from 776,000 tons to 777,000 tons, while gasoline production dropped from 1.006 million tons to 995,000 tons over the same period.