In the first seven months of the year, Spain increased its natural gas purchases across several sources. Total imports showed a notable shift, with an overall rise in volumes compared with the same period last year. Imports from the United States surged, while those from Algeria declined, and purchases from other countries followed different trajectories, reflecting evolving supply dynamics in Europe’s gas market.
Accumulated through July, Spain imported 29,333 gigawatt hours of Russian gas, up 24.2 percent year over year. At the same time, deliveries from the United States reached 86,687 GWh, a striking rise of 284.7 percent, and imports from Algeria fell to 64,635 GWh, down 41.9 percent. These movements come from the data published by the Petroleum Products Strategic Reserves Authority (Cores) on Thursday.
Regarding Algerian shipments, 60,056 GWh arrived via existing gas interconnections, representing a 39.5 percent decrease from the first seven months of 2021. The remaining Algerian purchases, totaling 4,578 GWh, arrived in methane tankers, marking a substantial year-on-year decline in that channel as well.
Additionally, purchases from Nigeria gained momentum, with 37,355 GWh imported through July, up 68.8 percent from the previous year. The broad pattern shows Spain diversifying suppliers while maintaining strong LNG uptake and balancing pipeline flows from traditional routes.
Overall, Spain received a total of 263,200 GWh of natural gas through July, which is 15.6 percent higher than the same period in the prior year. About 73.07 percent of this total arrived as liquefied natural gas via methane tankers (192,334 GWh), while the remaining 70,866 GWh was supplied through existing gas pipelines. This split highlights the growing role of LNG in Spain’s gas mix and the continued relevance of pipeline imports for maintaining steadier supply.
In this period, pipeline deliveries declined by 38.9 percent, while LNG imports increased by 72.1 percent compared with the same timeframe a year earlier, illustrating a clear shift toward LNG as a flexible supply source in times of price and supply volatility.
Algeria, main supplier in July
Looking at monthly figures, Algeria, historically Spain’s primary natural gas supplier at the end of 2021, briefly regained prominence by exceeding the United States in July. The United States remained a major supplier, but Algeria led overall purchases during that month, underscoring the country’s continued importance in Spain’s gas portfolio as global dynamics shift.
Specifically in July, Spain bought 8,572 GWh of natural gas from Algeria and 8,530 GWh from the United States, meaning purchases from Algeria exceeded those from North America by a narrow margin of 42 GWh. This moment underscores the year’s broader trend of Algeria reclaiming a leading role alongside the United States in Spain’s gas supply mix.
Following these two countries, Nigeria ranked third in July with 5,882 GWh, followed by Russia with 5,317 GWh in fourth place. Cores data for July shows Algeria accounting for 23.4 percent of Spain’s purchases, closely followed by the United States at 23.3 percent, with Nigeria at 16.1 percent and Russia at 14.5 percent (Source: Cores).
For July alone, Spain imported 36,606 GWh of natural gas, a 26.8 percent increase from July 2021. Of this total, 26,466 GWh (72.29 percent) arrived as LNG, while 10,140 GWh (27.71 percent) came via pipelines. This monthly snapshot reinforces the broader pattern: LNG is expanding its role in the energy mix, even as pipeline supplies continue to contribute a sizable share during periods when LNG access or pricing is constrained.
Overall, gas purchases via pipelines lagged behind last year by 38.4 percent in July, while LNG imports surged by 113.3 percent, illustrating the ongoing flexibility and responsiveness of Spain’s gas procurement strategy in the face of global price volatility and supply shifts.