Norway has overtaken Russia in pipeline gas exports for the first time

In 2025, Russia lost its status as the largest exporter of pipeline natural gas, falling behind Norway. 

This is stated in a report by the International Gas Union (IGU).

At the end of the year, Norway exported 108.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas via pipelines, while Russian exports amounted to 103.5 billion cubic meters.

The report notes that over the past 20 years, Russian pipeline gas exports have more than halved. The main reason was a sharp decline in supplies to Europe after 2022.

Against this backdrop, Moscow is attempting to redirect gas flows to Asian markets, primarily China. One of the key projects for this remains the “Power of Siberia-2” pipeline, which is intended to help offset losses from the reduction in European exports; however, its implementation is progressing slowly.

The IGU also notes that the development of liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure, diversification of supply sources, and more active spot trading have helped the global market adapt to the reduction in Russian supplies.

The organization cites Asian countries, particularly China and India, as key drivers of future natural gas demand.

U.S. natural gas prices have surged to a historic high.

Putin has cutthe price of gas for China to a minimum – Reuters.