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Released August 21, 2025 | SUGAR LAND
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Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)-- Backed in part by U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries, European energy security improved with Norwegian production figures showing natural gas output was higher than its government expected.
Norway emerged as the dominant energy supplier to the European Union after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 saw Russian gas sidelined from the market by sanctions. Recent data from the European Commission, the EU's governing body, found Norway was the top natural gas supplier to the bloc, followed by LNG from the United States.
On Wednesday, the Norwegian Offshore Directorate (NOD), the nation's offshore energy regulator, reported total natural gas production in July averaged 1.15 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), around 2.2% higher than the government expected.
,br> Natural gas output in June was 3.3% higher than expected at 1.03 Bcf/d, but lower than the 1.2 Bcf/d reported at the same time last year.
That nonetheless bodes well for a European community looking to do without Russian gas. Recent data from the European Commission shows that Russia fell to the No. 3 spot, behind the United States, in terms of market share in the bloc.
In July, Norwegian energy company Equinor (Stavanger) signed a deal with German chemical giant BASF (Ludwigshafen) to deliver around 0.7 Bcf/d annually beginning in October.
"Natural gas not only provides energy security to Europe but also critical feedstock to European industries," said Anders Opedal, the president and chief executive officer at Equinor.
On the other side of the ocean, U.S. President Donald Trump made emergency declarations to stimulate the domestic energy sector, pointing to LNG deliveries as a boon to European energy security.
Terms of a newly-brokered trade deal with the United States calls for Europe to purchase some $750 billion worth of energy products over the next three years, from nuclear fuel to LNG.
The framework for the LNG commitments was criticized as out of reach, both in terms of supply-side strains from the United States to storage capacity in Europe. Spending on energy historically has also been far less than what's outlined in the deal.
Federal U.S. data from last year show the Netherlands, with its busy port at Rotterdam, was the largest consumer of U.S.-sourced LNG last year, with around 463 billion cubic feet delivered. Historically, meanwhile, the EU said it imports around 1.7 trillion cubic feet per year, or around 4.8 billion cubic feet per day, from U.S. suppliers.
Equinor, for its part, has been hobbled somewhat by issues with its Hammerfest LNG facility, which suffered an electrical outage during the weekend. The company, however, got a lift from the recent launch of its Johan Castberg field for oil. For more information, see August 19, 2025, article - Norway's Johan Castberg Field Officially Opened.
Located 150 miles north of Hammerfest, it is the third producing field in the Barents Sea after the Snøhvit and Goliat fields. Johan Castberg will produce for 30 years and at its peak will be able to produce 220,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Plant Database can get a detailed look at Johan Castberg here and a profile of Hammerfest here.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
Norway emerged as the dominant energy supplier to the European Union after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 saw Russian gas sidelined from the market by sanctions. Recent data from the European Commission, the EU's governing body, found Norway was the top natural gas supplier to the bloc, followed by LNG from the United States.
On Wednesday, the Norwegian Offshore Directorate (NOD), the nation's offshore energy regulator, reported total natural gas production in July averaged 1.15 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), around 2.2% higher than the government expected.
,br> Natural gas output in June was 3.3% higher than expected at 1.03 Bcf/d, but lower than the 1.2 Bcf/d reported at the same time last year.
That nonetheless bodes well for a European community looking to do without Russian gas. Recent data from the European Commission shows that Russia fell to the No. 3 spot, behind the United States, in terms of market share in the bloc.
In July, Norwegian energy company Equinor (Stavanger) signed a deal with German chemical giant BASF (Ludwigshafen) to deliver around 0.7 Bcf/d annually beginning in October.
"Natural gas not only provides energy security to Europe but also critical feedstock to European industries," said Anders Opedal, the president and chief executive officer at Equinor.
On the other side of the ocean, U.S. President Donald Trump made emergency declarations to stimulate the domestic energy sector, pointing to LNG deliveries as a boon to European energy security.
Terms of a newly-brokered trade deal with the United States calls for Europe to purchase some $750 billion worth of energy products over the next three years, from nuclear fuel to LNG.
The framework for the LNG commitments was criticized as out of reach, both in terms of supply-side strains from the United States to storage capacity in Europe. Spending on energy historically has also been far less than what's outlined in the deal.
Federal U.S. data from last year show the Netherlands, with its busy port at Rotterdam, was the largest consumer of U.S.-sourced LNG last year, with around 463 billion cubic feet delivered. Historically, meanwhile, the EU said it imports around 1.7 trillion cubic feet per year, or around 4.8 billion cubic feet per day, from U.S. suppliers.
Equinor, for its part, has been hobbled somewhat by issues with its Hammerfest LNG facility, which suffered an electrical outage during the weekend. The company, however, got a lift from the recent launch of its Johan Castberg field for oil. For more information, see August 19, 2025, article - Norway's Johan Castberg Field Officially Opened.
Located 150 miles north of Hammerfest, it is the third producing field in the Barents Sea after the Snøhvit and Goliat fields. Johan Castberg will produce for 30 years and at its peak will be able to produce 220,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Plant Database can get a detailed look at Johan Castberg here and a profile of Hammerfest here.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
