Natural gas: Across the Earth
Two countries pump 40%, three hold half the reserves
What this tab covers How the resource varies with latitude, climate, terrain and geology: the richest and poorest regions and the leading countries.Production is led by the US and Russia, which together supply about 40% of world gas. Reserves are concentrated: Russia, Iran and Qatar alone hold about half.
Gas occurs wherever source rocks were buried deep and hot, often in the same basins as oil, but also in very deep or gas-prone basins and in coal fields. Shale gas is spread across many basins worldwide, but has so far been developed at scale mainly in North America.
Rich and poor regions
| Region | Resource | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Russia (reserves) | 46.8 tcm, 22% of world (end-2025)18 | high |
| Iran (reserves) | 34.0 tcm, 16%18 | high |
| Qatar (reserves) | 23.8 tcm, 11%18 | high |
| United States (reserves) | 16.0 tcm, 8%18 | medium |
| Turkmenistan (reserves) | 13.9 tcm, 7%18 | medium |
| Texas and Pennsylvania (US output) | 24.6% and 21.8% of US gas production (2022)12 | high |
Top countries by natural gas production 2024 13
| Country | bcm |
|---|---|
| United States | 1,033 |
| Russia | 629.9 |
| Iran | 262.9 |
| China | 248.4 |
| Canada | 194.2 |
World production was 4,124.5 bcm in 2024, so the US alone produced about a quarter, and the US, Russia, Iran and China together 53% (Energy Institute). Reserve and production rankings differ: Qatar and Turkmenistan hold far more gas than they produce, while the US produces far more than its share of reserves. Gas is still traded mainly by pipeline within continents, with LNG linking exporters such as the US and Qatar to importers in Asia and Europe. Coalbed methane matters in some regions but is a small share of supply, about 2% even in the US.
Sources
- Natural gas explained: where our natural gas comes from US EIA, 2023
- Global natural gas production Planete Energies (TotalEnergies Foundation), 2025
- World Energy Review 2026: Natural gas (reserves at 31 December 2025) Eni, 2026