MOSCOW, June 26. /TASS/. Russia’s natural gas production rose by 9.1% in January-May 2024 year-on-year to 254 bln cubic meters, the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) reported.

In particular, gas production in May amounted to 44 bln cubic meters, which is 4% lower than in April, and 10.9% higher than last May.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) production totaled 14.8 mln tons in the reporting period, up by 4.5% compared with the same period in 2023. In May, LNG production equaled 3 mln tons, which is 2.9% higher than in May 2023, and 4.3% higher than in April 2024.

Associated petroleum gas production added 3.3% in the reporting period to 45.3 bln cubic meters, Rosstat said.

That brings Russia’s aggregate gas production (natural and associate petroleum) to 299.3 bln cubic meters in January-May 2024, up by 8%.

Russia’s Energy Ministry said earlier that gas production in the country was preliminarily projected at around 667 bln cubic meters in 2024. In 2023, Russia’s gas output lost 5.5% compared with 2022 to 636.9 bln cubic meters.

According to the ministry’s base-case outlook, Russia’s gas production will increase to 666.7 bln cubic meters in 2024, to 695.4 bln cubic meters in 2025, and to 707.5 bln cubic meters in 2026.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects Russia’s gas production to rise by 5% in 2024 to 670 bcm.