Sedigas - Annual Report 2.008

The worldwide gas industry > Production, demand and international trade > International trade

International trade

Imports of natural gas in all the OECD countries combined rose by 2.1%, according to preliminary figures from the IEA. This is lower than the figure for the previous year (+3.3%), and will probably be higher than the rise in 2009, given the figures recorded during the last quarter of 2008 and the consequences of the weakening demand caused by the economic crisis.

CHANGES IN THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN NATURAL GAS

Year

1970
1980
1990
1995
2000
2005
2006
2007
2008

Total

10⁹m³

45,7
201,0
307,4
391,7
654,5
855,7
885,7
908,5
936,2

%S/Production

4,4
13,2
14,9
17,8
26,3
30,6
30,8
30,9
30,5

Gas pipelines (1)

10⁹m³

43,0
169,6
235,3
298,5
516,8
666,8
674,7
681,6
710,5

%S/Total

94,1
84,4
76,5
76,2
79,0
77,9
76,2
75,0
75,8

LNG

10⁹m³

2,7
31,3
72,1
93,2
137,7
188,9
211,1
226,9
225,7

%S/Total

5,9
15,6
23,5
23,8
21,0
22,1
23,8
25,0
24,2

(1) From 2004 includes trade between CIS states.
Source: CEDIGAZ

Total imports in the Pacific OECD states (Japan and Korea being the most active in this area) increased in 2008 by 6.3%, one point lower than the figure for 2007.
Imports in Europe increased by 5.6% in 2008, as compared with a fall of 1.2% in 2007. This change in the overall trend relates to the fact that demand increased in the group of 27 EU countries by 1.9% during 2008, after falling off during 2007.
Imports of Algerian gas in Europe increased by 2.8% during 2008, having fallen by 10.2% the previous year.
European imports from the countries of the former Soviet bloc followed a similar pattern: the amount of natural gas arriving in western Europe from this group of countries (though mainly from Russia) rose by 8.9%, as compared with a slight fall in 2007 in comparison with 2006.

Grupo Gas Natural

THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN NATURAL GAS. EXPORTER COUNTRIES. (10⁹ m³)

North America
Canada
USA
Central and South America
Argentina
Bolivia
Trinidad & Tobago
Europe (1)
Norway
Netherlands
United Kingdom
Germany
CIS
Russia
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Africa
Algeria
Egypt
Nigeria
Libya
Middle East
Abu Dhabi
Iran
Oman
Qatar
Asia-Oceania
Indonesia
Malaysia
Australia
Myanmar (Burma)
TOTAL WORLD

2005

125,3
104,7
20,6
31,4
6,9
10,2
14,0
165,4
81,4
46,8
9,2
15,8
293,6
240,7
45,5
0,0
91,1
65,3
8,3
12,0
5,5
58,4
12,3
4,3
10,6
27,1
99,5
36,3
30,3
14,9
8,9
864,6

2006

120,0
99,8
20,2
33,3
6,1
10,8
16,3
169,4
84,2
49,0
10,2
14,8
289,7
237,2
45,0
4,0
105,9
61,6
16,9
17,6
8,5
66,5
12,3
5,7
12,9
31,1
101,0
34,4
29,8
18,0
9,0
885,8

2007

129,8
107,3
22,5
34,5
2,6
11,6
18,8
168,6
85,3
50,4
10,4
13,9
281,0
213,9
47,7
13,4
110,4
58,4
15,9
21,9
10,0
80,2
12,8
6,2
13,2
43,5
104,0
33,9
31,3
20,1
9,4
908,5

2008

130,3
103,2
27,1
32,0
0,9
11,8
17,3
184,9
94,8
55,2
10,5
15,1
282,9
215,2
46,8
14,1
115,1
58,8
16,9
20,6
10,4
88,6
13,0
5,8
10,7
56,4
102,4
33,6
30,8
20,2
8,6
936,2

Distri.(%)

13,9
11,0
2,9
3,4
0,1
1,3
1,8
19,8
10,1
5,9
1,1
1,6
30,2
23,0
5,0
1,5
12,3
6,3
1,8
2,2
1,1
9,5
1,4
0,6
1,1
6,0
10,9
3,6
3,3
2,2
0,9
100,0

(1) Since 2007, EU 27 plus Norway, Switzerland, Turkey an Central Europe. The figures for previous years, not including figures for Central Europe, which were included in the area of Eastern Europe and CIS.
Source: CEDIGAZ

Trade (Source: CEDIGAZ’ First Estimates, May 2009)

Pipelines supported the growth of world gas trade. Over the past decade, world gas trade (including intra-FSU trade) posted 5.6% growth on average per year, with a 7% growth rate for LNG trade and a 5.1% for pipeline trade. In the last five years, growth in international trade slowed down, rising 3.9% on average per year. The gap widened between LNG and pipeline trade expansion, as LNG grew 6.0%/year, compared to 3.3%/year for pipeline trade over the five-year period.
The year 2008 marked a reversal in the trade pattern, as growing pipeline trade considerably supplanted LNG. International pipeline trade increased 4.2% to more than 710 bcm, while the LNG recorded a 0.5% decline to 225.7 bcm. The LNG share of international gas flows accordingly fell from 25.0% to 24.2%.

THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN NATURAL GAS. IMPORTER COUNTRIES. (10⁹ m³)

North America
USA
Canada
Central and South America
Mexico
Brazil
Chile
Argentina
Europe (1)
Germany
Italy
France
Spain
Belgium
Turkey
Netherlands
United Kingdom
CIS
Russia
Ukraine
Africa
Middle East
Iran
Jordan
UAE
Asia-Oceania
Japan
South Korea
Taiwán
India
Thailand
TOTAL WORLD

2005

132,9
122,8
10,1
26,7
8,6
9,0
6,5
1,7
405,0
90,7
73,5
49,0
33,4
21,9
27,0
17,6
16,5
142,6
36,9
58,0
1,8
17,7
5,8
1,3
10,6
137,9
76,3
30,5
9,6
6,0
8,9
864,6

2006

125,8
116,4
9,4
28,0
10,1
9,5
5,6
1,8
419,5
90,9
77,4
49,6
35,2
22,5
31,0
18,6
21,4
140,3
38,9
52,8
2,6
18,8
5,8
1,9
11,1
150,8
81,9
34,1
10,2
8,0
9,0
885,8

2007

143,9
130,7
13,2
26,0
10,8
10,0
2,4
1,7
426,0
82,9
73,9
46,9
35,1
21,1
36,2
18,4
30,0
117,3
28,5
54,3
4,2
25,9
7,3
2,4
11,2
165,2
88,8
34,4
11,0
10,0
9,4
908,5

2008

130,3
114,4
15,9
29,0
13,9
11,0
0,7
1,3
450,1
87,1
76,8
49,5
39,7
20,4
37,9
18,0
36,5
114,9
31,9
47,2
4,5
35,4
7,2
2,7
12,6
172,0
92,1
35,7
12,1
10,8
8,6
936,2

Distri.(%)

13,9
12,2
1,7
3,1
1,5
1,2
0,1
0,1
48,1
9,3
8,2
5,3
4,2
2,2
4,0
1,9
3,9
12,3
3,4
5,0
0,5
3,8
0,8
0,3
1,3
18,4
9,8
3,8
1,3
1,2
0,9
100

Annual Report 2.008: Sedigas - The Spanish Gas Association