Gas imports up 5.6 pct in first four months of 2019; production, down 0.4 pct

Romania imported in the first four months of 2019 2.803 million tonnes of oil equivalent (toe) worth of usable natural gas, by 5.6 percent (147,600 toe) more than in the same period of 2019, show figures centralised by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

The domestic natural gas production in the reporting period stood at around 1.1 million toe, by 0.4 pct (4,600 toe) below the one in the January-April 2018 interval.

According to Romania's Energy Strategy, natural gas accounts for a share of about 30 percent of the domestic consumption of primary energy. Natural gas production has stabilized in recent years as a result of investments made in extending the life span of existing deposits and developing new ones.

The draft strategy signals that natural gas production will drop after reaching a new peak of 132 TWh in 2025 as a result of Black Sea production, to 96 TWh in 2030 and 65 TWh in 2050.