Can sub-Saharan Africa help fill the EU’s gas gap?
Africa has potential to expand LNG exports, but its additional contribution is likely to remain limited
The EU is attempting to wean itself off imports of Russian gas, which accounted for almost 40pc of the bloc’s supplies last year, a volume equivalent to almost 115mn t of LNG. Large volumes are expected to come from Qatar and the US over the next five years, and the bloc will look primarily to these two countries to plug the supply gap. But it will also want to further diversify its sources. Sub-Saharan Africa is a proven supplier of LNG to Europe and another option to reduce EU dependence on Russian gas. The region already benefits from the heavy involvement of the European majors as well as its relative proximity to Europe, keeping shipping costs down. Europe imported 75mn t of LNG in 2021

Also in this section
15 May 2025
Financial problems, lack of exploration success and political dogma cause uncertainty across much of the region
14 May 2025
The invisible hand of the market has seen increasing transparency but much more needs to be done to build a better understanding
13 May 2025
A fall in Venezuelan output drives overall production lower, as Saudi Arabia starts to slowly bring more crude to the market
12 May 2025
With the gas industry’s staunchest advocates and opponents taking brutal blows, the sector looks like treading a path of insipid indifference