According to the Energy Institute’s Statistical Review of World Energy 2025, just three countries – Russia, Iran and Qatar – control more than half of the world’s proven natural gas reserves.
Iran ranks second in gas reserves with 1,133 trillion cubic feet, followed by Qatar (871 trillion).
Turkmenistan (480 trillion), the United States (445.6 trillion) and China (296.6 trillion) follow.
Azerbaijan, from which Moldova expects to buy “blue fuel”, is in the 12th position with proven reserves of 88.4 trillion cubic feet. Along with such countries as Turkmenistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Iraq, they strengthen the position of the Middle East and Central Asia in world gas reserves.
These regions have vast and inexpensive reserves capable of long-term production, making them key players in the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) export market.
The United States has the fifth largest shale gas reserves in the world with approximately 446 trillion cubic feet of reserves, reflecting the impact of the development of the shale gas industry over the past two decades.
China is also among the leaders in reserves, although its domestic demand is so large that it remains heavily dependent on imports despite its large reserves.
Countries with more modest reserves, including Norway (19th), the UK (39th) and the Netherlands (43rd), continue to play an important regional role due to existing infrastructure and proximity to major demand centers.
Ukraine is also on the list. It ranks 23rd with reserves of 38.5 trillion cubic feet. Romania is also ranked 46th with proven reserves of 2.8 trillion cubic feet.
However, declining reserves in parts of Europe underscore the continent’s growing dependence on imports.
