In 2023, Russia produced about 32.33 million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG), marking a slight dip of around 2 percent from the year before. This figure was reported by Kommersant and reflects a year characterized by interruptions and strategic shifts in the country’s gas sector as it navigated maintenance schedules and alternating demand patterns across major markets.
The annual LNG output for Russia in 2023 shows a decrease tied to extended repair work at the Yamal LNG and Sakhalin-2 facilities. These projects paused production for several months during the summer, reducing overall throughput. Despite these operational pauses, the industry managed to sustain a resilient output level through the second half of the year as maintenance windows closed and production lines resumed at full capacity. The timing and duration of these outages had a measurable, though not catastrophic, effect on year-end totals, underscoring the sensitivity of LNG supply to upstream plant cycles and seasonal demand shifts.
Nevertheless, the year was cushioned by the successful launch of Port LNG, a mid-sized facility located in the Baltic region. This new export node contributed to balancing Russia’s export portfolio and helped maintain a steady flow of LNG to international markets. In aggregate, Russia’s LNG exports reached a peak for the year in December, totaling about 3.2 million tonnes, a testament to the country’s ongoing diversification efforts and logistical capacity to push cargoes to buyers during a volatile energy environment.
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak noted that LNG production in 2023 represented roughly 8 percent of the global output. He also highlighted Russia’s standing on the world stage, noting that the country ranked as the fourth-largest LNG exporter behind the United States, Qatar, and Australia. This assessment reflects persistent market access and competitive position in the global gas trade, even as demand dynamics shift across regions and energy sources.
Russia’s LNG shipments to Europe rose to 16.42 million tonnes by year-end 2023, up from 16.25 million tonnes the previous year. Analyst Victor Katona of Kpler attributed the growth to shifting demand patterns in Asia, where a softening by year’s end helped redirect flows toward European buyers. This redirection illustrates how traders and producers respond to changing market signals, balancing regional demand with contractual obligations and the evolving economics of liquefaction and shipping cost structures.
Looking ahead, industry observers anticipate a softer export trajectory for European shipments in 2024. Sergei Kondratyev of the Institute of Energy and Finance suggested that, as the European energy market undergoes reconfiguration, exports to the European Union could decline to around 12-13 million tonnes in 2024. While the forecast allows for some volatility, it also reflects the strategic recalibration of supply routes and the broader competition among suppliers seeking to secure market share in Europe amid ongoing energy transition pressures.
Meanwhile, Arctic LNG 2 has entered service and is expected to contribute meaningfully to Russia’s liquefied gas export capacity. The new project is projected to bolster overall exports by a meaningful margin, reinforcing the country’s aim to increase LNG volumes in the coming years. The broader narrative includes a reduction in European Union LNG inflows into the gas transmission network as part of market adjustments and infrastructure optimization seen across the continent, shaping how Russian LNG competes within a diversified European energy mix and in nearby markets.