In a statement released last week, the national oil company of Algeria, Sonatrach, announced that Algerian gas exports recorded an increase in the first quarter of 2020, due to an increase in production and demand from its customers.

The OPEC-member-country is Italy’s second-largest gas supplier, with a market share of 35%, compared to 16% during the same period in 2020. Italy’s Algerian gas imports rose by 109%, compared to 2020, with a total volume of 6.4 billion cubic metres.

The second-largest buyer of Algerian gas was the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), with an exported volume, in the first quarter of 2021, of 4.3 billion m3, an increase of 122% compared to the same period in 2020, which represents a market share of more than 47% compared to only 21% during the first quarter of 2020.

Sonatrach says with the performance, Algeria maintains its position as the leading gas supplier in this strategic market. Gas exports have also reached other historical markets of Sonatrach in the Mediterranean and Asian countries such as China and Bangladesh.

Excerpts from the statement read:

“Despite a particular context linked to the prolongation of the Covid-19 pandemic, Algeria recorded a significant jump in its gas exports during the first quarter of 2021 thanks to an increase in production, combined with the strengthening of demand from its customers.”

“These achievements have been confirmed by specialized sources highlighting the increase in supply from Algeria which has made it possible to satisfy a very strong European gas demand.”