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India
Full section on this page
Only ~6% of primary energy, well below the ~23% global average · KG-D6 field, Reliance/BP · targeting 15% by 2030.
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Qatar
Jump to South Pars field
Co-owns South Pars / North Dome — the world's largest gas field (~1,800 Tm³) · top LNG exporter (~80 Mt/yr).
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Iran
Jump to South Pars field
Co-owns South Pars / North Dome with Qatar, split across the maritime border.
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Russia
Full country profile →
Urengoy — world's 2nd-largest gas field (~10.2 Tm³), producing since 1978 · Gazprom.
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United States
Full country profile →
Haynesville and Marcellus shale fields · top LNG exporter (~86 Mt/yr) via Sabine Pass.
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Australia
Full country profile →
Gorgon field, Carnarvon Basin · world's #1 LNG exporter by volume (~88 Mt/yr).
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Norway
Full country profile →
Troll field — Norway's largest (~1.3 Tm³) · Equinor · supplies UK, Germany, Belgium.
🇳🇱
Netherlands
Jump to Groningen field
Groningen — production ended 2023 after induced earthquakes forced a full shutdown.
🇯🇵
Japan
Full country profile →
World's top LNG importer (~65 Mt/yr) — near-total reliance on seaborne gas.
🇨🇳
China
Full country profile →
2nd-largest LNG importer (~71 Mt/yr) and fast-growing consumer.
Prefer fields over countries? Jump straight to the world's largest gas fields, GPS-located ↓
"Natural gas arrives at your kitchen from a reservoir that may be 3,000 metres underground — a journey that begins in rock older than the Himalayas. It travels through thousands of kilometres of pipeline, liquefied at −162°C, shipped across oceans, regasified, and delivered to the flame beneath your pot. This invisible journey happens billions of times a day, reliably, unnoticed."
— The Energy Codex · thecodex.expert
Flagship asset
The world's largest natural gas field — ~9% of global reserves — one geological structure shared by Qatar's LNG export industry and Iran's sanctions-constrained South Pars.
Cluster 1 · What is it?
What natural gas is — precisely
Natural gas is mostly methane — CH₄, one carbon atom with four hydrogen atoms. It forms the same way as oil (from ancient marine organisms buried underground) but in places where the burial was deeper and the temperature was higher, breaking longer carbon chains down to the shortest: methane. It is colourless, odourless (the smell you notice is an added chemical called mercaptan, added specifically so you can detect leaks), and lighter than air. When burned, it produces water vapour and CO₂ — significantly less CO₂ per unit of energy than coal or oil, because it has more hydrogen relative to carbon. It is the transition fuel: cleaner than coal, available now, widely distributed.
Composition of natural gas: Methane (CH₄) 70–90%. Ethane (C₂H₆) 5–15%. Propane (C₃H₈) 1–5%. Butane and heavier hydrocarbons: trace. Carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen sulphide: variable. "Wet gas" contains significant NGLs (natural gas liquids — ethane, propane, butane); "dry gas" is mostly methane.
Why less CO₂ than coal: Methane's combustion equation: CH₄ + 2O₂ → CO₂ + 2H₂O. For every carbon atom burned, two water molecules are produced releasing energy. Coal (mostly carbon) produces more CO₂ per unit of energy because it has no hydrogen "bonus energy." Gas produces approximately 40% less CO₂ per kWh than coal.
Methane leakage caveat: Methane is itself a potent greenhouse gas (~80× more powerful than CO₂ over 20 years). Studies show upstream methane leakage from gas production and pipelines ranges from 0.2% to 3%+ of total production. At high leakage rates, the climate benefit of gas over coal diminishes substantially. Source: IEA Methane Tracker 2024.
Why less CO₂ than coal: Methane's combustion equation: CH₄ + 2O₂ → CO₂ + 2H₂O. For every carbon atom burned, two water molecules are produced releasing energy. Coal (mostly carbon) produces more CO₂ per unit of energy because it has no hydrogen "bonus energy." Gas produces approximately 40% less CO₂ per kWh than coal.
Methane leakage caveat: Methane is itself a potent greenhouse gas (~80× more powerful than CO₂ over 20 years). Studies show upstream methane leakage from gas production and pipelines ranges from 0.2% to 3%+ of total production. At high leakage rates, the climate benefit of gas over coal diminishes substantially. Source: IEA Methane Tracker 2024.
Source: IEA Global Methane Tracker 2024 · BP Statistical Review 2024
Gas reservoirs require the same geological elements as oil: source rock (Type III kerogen from terrestrial plant matter generates predominantly gas; Type II from marine organic matter generates oil at shallower depths, gas at deeper/hotter catagenesis). The gas window begins where the oil window ends — typically at temperatures above 120°C. Gas moves through permeable rock and accumulates under structural or stratigraphic traps. Natural gas liquids (NGLs) condense from the gas stream at surface pressure and temperature, forming a significant co-product stream of ethane, propane, and butane. Processing plants separate methane from NGLs, remove H₂S (sweetening), and adjust heating value to pipeline specifications. LNG is produced by cooling gas to −162°C at atmospheric pressure — methane's boiling point — reducing volume to 1/600th of its gaseous state for efficient marine transport.
Source: SPE — Natural Gas Engineering · GIIGNL Annual Report 2024
188 T m³Global proven reserves (BP 2024)
~52 yrsAt current consumption
490 g CO₂/kWhLifecycle (IPCC AR6)
~40%Less CO₂ than coal per kWh
55.5 MJ/kgEnergy density (methane)
Cluster 3 · Types
Conventional, shale, tight, coalbed methane — the four types
Conventional gas — free-flowing reservoirs
Gas trapped in permeable reservoir rock (sandstone, carbonate) under an impermeable caprock. Flows freely when drilled. Lowest production cost. Dominant form in Russia, Qatar, Norway, Iran, and most Middle Eastern fields. Examples: South Pars (Iran/Qatar), Urengoy (Russia), Troll (Norway).
Shale gas — tight rock requiring fracking
Gas trapped in low-permeability shale rock. Requires hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and horizontal drilling to extract. Revolutionised US gas production — US shale gas production grew from near-zero (2005) to approximately 80% of US gas output by 2023. Permian Basin (31.80°N 103.00°W), Marcellus Shale (Pennsylvania), Haynesville (Louisiana). Source: US EIA 2024
Associated gas — produced with oil
Gas that comes up with crude oil from oil wells. Historically flared (burned off) when oil was the primary product and gas markets did not exist. Flaring produces CO₂ but is less climate-damaging than releasing methane unburned. The World Bank's Zero Routine Flaring initiative targets ending routine flaring. Russia and Iraq are the largest flarers. Associated gas capture now generates significant revenues.
Coalbed methane (CBM) — gas from coal seams
Methane adsorbed in coal seams — released when water pressure is reduced by pumping. Major production in USA (Appalachia), Australia, China, India (Damodar Valley — Jharkhand/West Bengal). India's CBM production is growing as ONGC and Essar develop Damodar fields. Source: DGH India · US EIA
Cluster 13 · Named instances — major gas fields
The world's largest natural gas fields
| Field | Country | GPS | Est. reserves | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Pars / North Dome | Iran / Qatar | 26.80°N 53.10°E | ~1,800 T m³ (world's largest) | NIOC (Iran) / QatarEnergy · Shared field across national boundary |
| Urengoy | Russia | 65.97°N 78.36°E | ~10.2 T m³ (world's second largest) | Gazprom · West Siberia · Producing since 1978 |
| Haynesville | USA | 32.14°N 93.48°W | ~3.8 T m³ | Multiple (Chesapeake, Comstock) · Louisiana/East Texas shale |
| Groningen | Netherlands | 53.32°N 6.84°E | Originally 2.8 T m³ (largely depleted) | Shell / ExxonMobil / NAM · Production ended 2023 due to induced seismicity |
| Troll | Norway | 60.64°N 3.72°E | ~1.3 T m³ (Norway's largest) | Equinor · North Sea · Supplies UK, Germany, Belgium |
| Marcellus | USA | 41.50°N 77.50°W | ~28 T m³ assessed (largest US shale) | Multiple (EQT, Range Resources) · Pennsylvania/West Virginia shale |
| Gorgon | Australia | 20.45°S 116.62°E | ~1.3 T m³ | Chevron (47.3%), Shell (25%), ExxonMobil (25%) · Carnarvon Basin, WA · LNG export |
| Krishna Godavari (KG-D6) | India | 15.88°N 81.60°E | ~1.1 T m³ assessed | Reliance Industries / BP · Andhra Pradesh offshore · Major India gas source |
Sources: GEM GOGET (CC BY 4.0) · BP Statistical Review 2024 · OPEC ASB 2024 · US EIA
Cluster 6 · LNG — liquefied natural gas
How LNG works — making gas ship-able
Natural gas cannot be pumped across oceans in pipelines the way oil can — it is a gas at normal temperature and pressure. The solution: cool it to −162°C. At this temperature, methane becomes a liquid — and its volume shrinks to 1/600th of what it was as a gas. This liquid can be loaded into specially insulated LNG tankers and shipped anywhere in the world. At the destination, a regasification terminal warms it back to a gas and injects it into the local pipeline grid. LNG technology transformed natural gas from a regional fuel (limited by where pipelines could reach) into a global commodity traded like oil.
The LNG chain:
Liquefaction plant: Removes impurities (CO₂, H₂S, water) from gas, then cools it through a multi-stage refrigeration process to −162°C. Major plants: Ras Laffan (Qatar, GPS 25.91°N 51.55°E) — world's largest LNG export complex. Australia's Curtis Island, Gorgon, Ichthys plants. US Sabine Pass (Louisiana, 29.72°N 93.88°W) — first major US LNG export terminal.
LNG carrier: Double-hulled ships with insulated Moss (spherical) or membrane tanks. Capacity: 75,000–267,000 m³. Journey time: 10–25 days depending on route. Global fleet: ~650 LNG carriers (GIIGNL 2024).
Regasification terminal: Warms LNG back to gas using seawater heat exchangers or submerged combustion vaporisers. Injects into national grid. India's LNG import terminals: Dahej (Gujarat, 21.73°N 72.53°E, 17.5 MT/yr capacity), Hazira, Dabhol, Kochi, Ennore.
Global LNG trade 2023: approximately 400 Mt/year. Top exporters: Australia (~88 Mt), Qatar (~80 Mt), USA (~86 Mt), Russia (~32 Mt). Top importers: Japan (~65 Mt), China (~71 Mt), South Korea (~46 Mt), India (~21 Mt). Source: GIIGNL Annual Report 2024
Liquefaction plant: Removes impurities (CO₂, H₂S, water) from gas, then cools it through a multi-stage refrigeration process to −162°C. Major plants: Ras Laffan (Qatar, GPS 25.91°N 51.55°E) — world's largest LNG export complex. Australia's Curtis Island, Gorgon, Ichthys plants. US Sabine Pass (Louisiana, 29.72°N 93.88°W) — first major US LNG export terminal.
LNG carrier: Double-hulled ships with insulated Moss (spherical) or membrane tanks. Capacity: 75,000–267,000 m³. Journey time: 10–25 days depending on route. Global fleet: ~650 LNG carriers (GIIGNL 2024).
Regasification terminal: Warms LNG back to gas using seawater heat exchangers or submerged combustion vaporisers. Injects into national grid. India's LNG import terminals: Dahej (Gujarat, 21.73°N 72.53°E, 17.5 MT/yr capacity), Hazira, Dabhol, Kochi, Ennore.
Global LNG trade 2023: approximately 400 Mt/year. Top exporters: Australia (~88 Mt), Qatar (~80 Mt), USA (~86 Mt), Russia (~32 Mt). Top importers: Japan (~65 Mt), China (~71 Mt), South Korea (~46 Mt), India (~21 Mt). Source: GIIGNL Annual Report 2024
Source: GIIGNL — LNG Industry Annual Report 2024 · IEA Gas 2024
Cluster 2 · Q9 · India and natural gas
India and natural gas — the infrastructure gap
India's gas sector — overview
Natural gas contributes approximately 6% of India's primary energy — far below the global average of ~23%. India produces approximately 35 billion cubic metres (BCM) per year domestically and imports approximately 21 Mt of LNG.
Key domestic producers: ONGC and Oil India Ltd (state-owned); Reliance Industries / BP (KG-D6 block, Andhra offshore).
Pipeline network: GAIL (Gas Authority of India Ltd) operates ~13,000 km of gas pipelines. India's gas pipeline network is far less developed than its electricity grid — a key reason gas penetration is low.
LNG terminals: Dahej (21.73°N 72.53°E) · Hazira · Dabhol · Kochi · Ennore — total regasification capacity approximately 47.7 MMTPA.
Source: Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas India · PPAC India
Key domestic producers: ONGC and Oil India Ltd (state-owned); Reliance Industries / BP (KG-D6 block, Andhra offshore).
Pipeline network: GAIL (Gas Authority of India Ltd) operates ~13,000 km of gas pipelines. India's gas pipeline network is far less developed than its electricity grid — a key reason gas penetration is low.
LNG terminals: Dahej (21.73°N 72.53°E) · Hazira · Dabhol · Kochi · Ennore — total regasification capacity approximately 47.7 MMTPA.
Source: Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas India · PPAC India
India's ambition for gas
India's government has set a target to increase natural gas's share of the energy mix from ~6% to 15% by 2030 — as part of transitioning away from coal while maintaining reliable energy supply.
City Gas Distribution (CGD): Expanding compressed natural gas (CNG) for vehicles and piped natural gas (PNG) for cooking across India's cities. Delhi, Mumbai, and approximately 400 other cities now have some CGD infrastructure.
Fertiliser sector: India's urea plants use natural gas as feedstock for ammonia synthesis (Haber-Bosch). High gas import prices directly affect food production costs in India.
Challenge: High international LNG prices since 2022 have made gas expensive and slowed India's gas transition. Domestic production is insufficient to bridge the gap. Source: MoPNG India
City Gas Distribution (CGD): Expanding compressed natural gas (CNG) for vehicles and piped natural gas (PNG) for cooking across India's cities. Delhi, Mumbai, and approximately 400 other cities now have some CGD infrastructure.
Fertiliser sector: India's urea plants use natural gas as feedstock for ammonia synthesis (Haber-Bosch). High gas import prices directly affect food production costs in India.
Challenge: High international LNG prices since 2022 have made gas expensive and slowed India's gas transition. Domestic production is insufficient to bridge the gap. Source: MoPNG India
Cluster 4 · Pioneers
People who shaped the gas industry
Fritz Haber · 1868–1934 · Fixed nitrogen from gas for fertiliser
German chemist Fritz Haber discovered how to synthesise ammonia from atmospheric nitrogen and hydrogen in 1909 (with Carl Bosch engineering the industrial process — the "Haber-Bosch" process). Natural gas is the primary source of hydrogen for this process. The result: synthetic nitrogen fertilisers that enabled modern agriculture to feed the world's growing population. The FAO estimates Haber-Bosch nitrogen now feeds approximately 40-50% of the world's population. Haber also developed chemical weapons in WWI — his legacy is permanently complex. Source: Nobel Foundation (Haber won Chemistry Nobel 1918).
Reginald Fowler · 1893–1961 · Pioneer of commercial LNG
American engineer Reginald Fowler at the Union Gas Corporation built the world's first commercial LNG storage facility in Cleveland, Ohio in 1941 — to store gas in winter and release it in summer. A storage tank failure in 1944 (the East Ohio Gas explosion) set the technology back, but the basic concept survived. The first commercial LNG trade voyage was from the USA to the UK in 1959 on the Methane Pioneer. LNG today carries approximately 400 Mt of gas per year globally. Source: GIIGNL History of LNG
Cluster 11 · Future
What institutional sources project
Cluster 12 · Questions
Six questions answered
What is natural gas made of?
Natural gas is primarily methane (CH₄) — one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms — typically 70–90% of the mixture. The remainder includes ethane (5–15%), propane (1–5%), butane and heavier hydrocarbons in trace amounts, plus carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and sometimes hydrogen sulphide. The exact composition varies by field. Methane is colourless and odourless; the smell associated with household gas is mercaptan (methanethiol), added deliberately so leaks can be detected. "Wet gas" contains significant amounts of heavier hydrocarbons (NGLs) that are separated and sold separately; "dry gas" is predominantly methane.
Source: BP Statistical Review 2024 · SPE Natural Gas Engineering
What is LNG and how is it different from regular natural gas?
LNG (liquefied natural gas) is natural gas cooled to −162°C, at which point it becomes a liquid occupying 1/600th of its gaseous volume. This makes it possible to transport by ship, enabling global trade. Regular natural gas at ambient conditions is a gas and can only be moved by pipeline. The process of making LNG: purify the gas, then cool it through a refrigeration system. At the destination, it is warmed back to gas (regasification) and injected into the pipeline grid. LNG is the same molecule as pipeline gas — just temporarily in liquid form for transport. Global LNG trade is approximately 400 Mt/year (GIIGNL 2024).
Source: GIIGNL Annual Report 2024 · IEA Gas 2024
Is natural gas cleaner than coal?
For electricity generation, natural gas produces approximately 490 g CO₂/kWh — roughly 40% less than coal at approximately 820 g CO₂/kWh (IPCC AR6). This is primarily because methane (CH₄) has more hydrogen relative to carbon than coal (mostly carbon) — burning hydrogen produces water, not CO₂. However, natural gas's climate impact is significantly affected by methane leakage during production and transportation. Methane is approximately 80 times more potent than CO₂ as a greenhouse gas over 20 years. The IEA Methane Tracker 2024 estimates the gas sector leaks approximately 135 Mt of methane per year. At leakage rates above approximately 2–3%, gas loses its climate advantage over coal for electricity generation. Source: IPCC AR6 · IEA Methane Tracker 2024.
Source: IPCC AR6 WG3 · IEA Global Methane Tracker 2024
Which country has the most natural gas?
Russia has the world's largest proven natural gas reserves at approximately 37.4 trillion cubic metres — approximately 20% of global total (BP 2024). Iran is second at approximately 33.9 Tcm. Qatar third at approximately 24.7 Tcm. Turkmenistan (~13.6 Tcm) and the USA (~12.6 Tcm) follow. The world's largest single gas field is South Pars (Iran) / North Dome (Qatar) at an estimated 1,800 Tcm — a single giant structure split by the national maritime boundary (GPS: 26.80°N 53.10°E). Source: BP Statistical Review 2024.
Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2024
What is fracking and why is it controversial?
Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is a technique for extracting natural gas (or oil) from low-permeability shale rock. A horizontal well is drilled into the shale formation. High-pressure water mixed with sand and chemicals is injected to fracture the rock, creating pathways for gas to flow. The sand grains prop the fractures open. Fracking is controversial because: (1) it uses large volumes of water; (2) wastewater disposal can trigger small earthquakes; (3) concerns exist about groundwater contamination near some operations; (4) it enables continued fossil fuel production at scale. Proponents argue it reduced US gas prices, decreased coal use (substituting cleaner gas), and increased energy security. The USA's shale revolution transformed global gas markets from 2008 onwards. Source: US EIA · IEA.
Source: US EIA · IEA Gas 2024 · US EPA Hydraulic Fracturing Study 2016
How does India get its natural gas?
India gets natural gas from two sources: domestic production (approximately 35 BCM/year from ONGC's onshore and offshore fields, plus Reliance's KG-D6 block off Andhra Pradesh) and LNG imports (approximately 21 Mt/year). India has five LNG import terminals — the largest is Dahej in Gujarat (capacity 17.5 MMTPA). GAIL operates the main national pipeline network (~13,000 km). Gas is used for power generation, fertiliser production (urea), industrial use, and city gas distribution (CNG for vehicles, PNG for cooking). India's gas sector faces challenges: insufficient domestic production, expensive LNG imports (especially since 2022), and underdeveloped pipeline infrastructure reaching only a fraction of the country. Source: Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas India · PPAC Annual Report 2023.
Source: Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas India · PPAC Annual Report 2023 · GAIL Annual Report 2023
Connected
Sources
Every source used on this page
Primary sources
BP Statistical ReviewWorld Energy 2024 · Gas reserves by country · Production statisticsbp.com/statistical-review-2024
IEA Gas 2024Gas market analysis · Demand projections · Methane Tracker 2024iea.org/gas-2024
GIIGNLLNG Industry Annual Report 2024 · Trade volumes · Terminalsgiignl.org
IPCC AR6Lifecycle emissions · Gas 490 g CO₂/kWhipcc.ch/report/ar6
GEM GOGETGlobal Oil & Gas Extraction Tracker · GPS, field data · CC BY 4.0globalenergymonitor.org/goget
PPAC IndiaAnnual Report 2023 · India gas statistics · LNG importsppac.gov.in
US EIANatural gas statistics · Shale production dataeia.gov/naturalgas