Turkey’s gas imports from Russia and Iran fall sharply

Share of LNG in total gas imports increases while pipeline gas drops significantly in first half of 2020, data shows

By Nuran Erkul Kaya

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkey’s natural gas imports from Iran and Russia declined by 44.8% and 41.5%, respectively in the first half of this year compared to the same period of 2019, according to Energy Market Regulatory data compiled by Anadolu Agency on Monday.

Turkey’s natural gas imports in the January-June period of this year dropped by 3.5% to 22.5 billion cubic meters (bcm). Out of this amount, Turkey imported 12.1 bcm via pipeline and 10.3 bcm as liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Turkey’s pipeline gas imports fell by 22.8% while LNG imports grew 44.8% during this period.

The country imported the highest amount of gas at 5.44 bcm in the first half of this year from Azerbaijan, marking a 23.4% increase compared to the same period of 2019. Transmission from the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline was a factor in the growth of imports.

- No imports from Iran for 3 months

Turkey imported 46% less gas from Iran in the first half of this year, dropping from 3.75 bcm to 2.02 bcm, with no gas imports made from April to June of this year.

Likewise, imports from Russia significantly fell by 41% in the January-June period of this year to 4.7 bcm relative to the same period last year.

- New LNG source countries

Turkey, under its long-term LNG contract with Algeria, imported the highest LNG volume at 2.99 bcm during this period.

However, the highest spot LNG volume was imported from Qatar at 2.85 bcm, showing a 124% increase compared to the first half of 2019.

Turkey’s spot LNG imports from the US also grew by 144% to reach 2.16 bcm during the same period.

In the first half of 2020, Turkey received LNG from new source countries with imports of 633 million cubic meters (mcm) of spot LNG from Trinidad and Tobago followed by Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Egypt, Norway and Spain.

Turkey also exported 203 mcm of gas to Greece during this period.

Turkey consumed 3.8% less natural gas falling to 24.3 bcm in the January-June period of this year compared to the same period last year.

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