Russia boosts gas supplies to Uzbekistan by 30%

The increase in Russian exports to Uzbekistan came against the backdrop of diverging production trends across Central Asia. While gas supplies to Uzbekistan rose, pipeline exports from the region to China declined by about 5% year-on-year, equivalent to more than 2.5 billion cubic meters, the IEA reported.

According to the agency, natural gas production across Central Asian countries followed mixed trajectories in 2025. Turkmenistan recorded an estimated 3% increase in output, bringing total production to around 80 billion cubic meters. In contrast, Uzbekistan saw a decline in domestic gas extraction, with production falling by 4.5% year-on-year, or roughly 2 billion cubic meters, during the first 11 months of 2025.

The IEA attributed the decrease in Uzbekistan’s output to the deteriorating reliability of upstream infrastructure. Kazakhstan, meanwhile, registered a notable rise in marketable gas production, which increased by more than 10% year-on-year, or approximately 3.5 billion cubic meters, over the same period.

The decline in Central Asian gas exports to China reflects these shifting production and supply dynamics, with reduced volumes available for external markets amid domestic constraints and infrastructure challenges in some producer countries.

Earlier reports had indicated a modest increase in Uzbekistan’s gas production in 2025. Official figures suggested that 42.3 billion cubic meters of gas were extracted during the year, compared with 41.3 billion cubic meters in 2024. However, a previously published report for 2024 had cited total gas production of 44.6 billion cubic meters. No official explanation has been provided for the subsequent revision of the figures.