Natural gas: Stocks
One giant field shared by Qatar and Iran
What this tab covers How much is left and how much is held. For minerals and energy: reserves, current output, years of supply and recycling for the top five countries. For farm commodities: production, ending stocks and stocks-to-use for the top five producers (USDA, October 2026). It also covers inventories and stockpiles.Top five countries: reserves, output and years of supply
| Country | Reserves bcm proved reserves (end-2020) | Current output bcm produced (2024) | Years of supply | Recycling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russia | 37,392 | 630 | 59 | n/a |
| Iran | 32,101 | 263 | 122 | n/a |
| Qatar | 24,665 | 180 | 137 | n/a |
| Turkmenistan | 13,601 | 73.5 | 185 | n/a |
| United States | 12,619 | 1,033 | 12 | n/a |
Recycling
Gas is burned, so it cannot be recycled; the buffer is storage. EU rules require underground storage to be 90% full before winter, and Europe's LNG imports were 133.5 bcm in 2024 (Energy Institute). India has no strategic gas storage and relies on LNG cargoes and contract flexibility. World proved reserves were 188 tcm at end-2020, about 46 years of 2024 output; India's were 1.32 tcm (Energy Institute). Note the US figure: proved reserves are a narrow, price-dependent measure, and US shale resources are far larger than the 12-year ratio suggests.
Proved reserves were 188 trillion cubic metres at end-2020, about 49 years of output (Energy Institute). Russia (37 trillion), Iran (32) and Qatar (25) hold about half, and Qatar and Iran share one giant offshore field. Gas is costly to store, so inventories are seasonal. Depleted fields, aquifers and salt caverns fill in summer and empty in winter, while LNG tanks cover peaks (Geman). Europe's storage level each autumn is a key market signal. Nothing is recycled: gas is burned or converted into chemicals.