Natural Gas Production โ - Natural Gas Production refers to the total volume of marketable natural gas extracted from underground reservoirs within a country during a given year. It is typically measured in billion cubic meters (bcm) and represents the production of natural gas that is available for sale, distribution, or consumption after the removal of impurities and non-hydrocarbon components where applicable. The indicator includes gas produced from both associated gas fields (produced alongside crude oil) and non-associated gas fields. Natural Gas Production is a key measure of a country's upstream gas industry, resource availability, energy security, and contribution to domestic and global natural gas supply.
It serves as an important indicator of production capacity, resource availability, energy security, export capability, industrial performance, and Australia's position as one of the world's leading natural gas producers and LNG exporters.
Australia recorded natural gas production of 74.3 bcm in 2015, increasing significantly to 94.1 bcm in 2016 and 110.3 bcm in 2017. Production continued to rise to 127.4 bcm in 2018 and 146.1 bcm in 2019, supported by the commissioning of major LNG export projects and expanding upstream developments. Output remained broadly stable at 145.7 bcm in 2020, increased to 147.9 bcm in 2021, and reached a record 154.2 bcm in 2022 before easing slightly to 151.7 bcm in 2023, reflecting normal operational variations while maintaining historically high production levels.
Overall, the dataset demonstrates strong and sustained long-term growth in natural gas production, with output more than doubling during the review period. Continued investment in upstream exploration, production infrastructure, and LNG export capacity has strengthened Australia's position in international gas markets while supporting domestic energy supply.
The dataset is valuable for evaluating Australia's natural gas production trends, analyzing upstream industry performance, and assessing domestic and export gas supply. It supports energy security planning, investment analysis, market assessments, and policy evaluation while providing valuable insights for researchers, analysts, industry stakeholders, and policymakers studying production efficiency, resource development, infrastructure expansion, export competitiveness, supply reliability, and the long-term growth of Australia's natural gas industry.