- Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Production refers to the total volume of liquid hydrocarbons recovered from natural gas during production and processing within a given year.
South and Central America Natural Gas Liquids Production was 339 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2023, up 2.4% on 2022. The Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Production dataset of South & Central America from 2015 to 2023 provides a comprehensive overview of the region's NGL production, highlighting output trends, production levels, supply changes, and industry performance throughout the review period.
South and Central America Natural Gas Liquids Production moved from 411 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2015 to 339 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2023 (−17.5%), an average of −2.4% a year. The series high was 414 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2017 and the low 325 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2021.
The gap between the series high (2017) and low (2021) is 89.00 Thousand Barrels Daily. The sharpest single-year move was −9.5% in 2020.
Within South and Central America, Argentina has the highest value in 2023 at 128 Thousand Barrels Daily, 37.8% of the regional total.
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Thousand Barrels Daily, 2023. Each bar is that region's total.
Full series
Complete annual series with year-on-year change. Values are reported in Thousand Barrels Daily.
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| Year | Thousand Barrels Daily | Change vs prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 339 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 331 | +1.8% |
| 2021 Trough | 325 | −5% |
| 2020 | 342 | −9.5% |
| 2019 | 378 | −0.3% |
| 2018 | 379 | −8.5% |
| 2017Peak | 414 | +6.4% |
| 2016 | 389 | −5.4% |
| 2015 | 411 | — |
Data definition
Natural Gas Liquids Production — - Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Production refers to the total volume of liquid hydrocarbons recovered from natural gas during production and processing within a given year. It is typically measured in thousand barrels per day (kb/d) and includes hydrocarbons that are separated from natural gas streams because they condense into liquids under normal surface conditions. Major components include ethane, propane, butane, isobutane, and natural gasoline (pentanes plus). This indicator reflects a country's capability to recover valuable liquid hydrocarbons from natural gas production and is widely used to assess upstream gas processing activity, hydrocarbon resource utilization, and supply of feedstocks for petrochemical, heating, and transportation applications.
The data includes the production of all major natural gas liquids recovered from natural gas processing plants and field separation facilities, including ethane, propane, normal butane, isobutane, and natural gasoline (pentanes plus). It covers NGLs produced from both associated gas (produced alongside crude oil) and non-associated natural gas fields. Production from onshore and offshore operations is included, and the indicator reflects volumes recovered before further refining or fractionation into individual products. The data is compiled using standardized international energy reporting methodologies based on national production statistics and industry sources, enabling consistent comparison of NGL production across countries and over time.
The data excludes dry natural gas (methane) that remains in the gas stream after NGL extraction, as well as crude oil, lease condensate, refined petroleum products, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) produced through refinery processing rather than direct natural gas recovery. It also excludes synthetic liquid fuels derived from coal, biomass, or gas-to-liquids (GTL) technologies unless explicitly included in the reporting methodology. The indicator does not measure NGL consumption, reserves, imports, exports, storage, or petrochemical production. Minor differences may occur due to variations in national reporting standards, processing technologies, product classifications, and estimation methodologies across countries.
Natural Gas Liquids Production — - Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Production refers to the total volume of liquid hydrocarbons recovered from natural gas during production and processing within a given year. It is typically measured in thousand barrels per day (kb/d) and includes hydrocarbons that are separated from natural gas streams because they condense into liquids under normal surface conditions. Major components include ethane, propane, butane, isobutane, and natural gasoline (pentanes plus). This indicator reflects a country's capability to recover valuable liquid hydrocarbons from natural gas production and is widely used to assess upstream gas processing activity, hydrocarbon resource utilization, and supply of feedstocks for petrochemical, heating, and transportation applications.
Measured in thousand barrels daily, the dataset serves as an important indicator of natural gas processing activity, hydrocarbon production, and the performance of the region's oil and gas sector. Incorporating production data from Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, and remaining South & Central American countries, the dataset enables assessment of regional supply dynamics, production efficiency, and long-term market performance.
South & Central America's total NGL production declined from 411 thousand barrels daily in 2015 to 389 thousand in 2016, recovered to 414 thousand in 2017, and then decreased to 379 thousand in 2018 and 378 thousand in 2019. Regional output fell further to 342 thousand barrels daily in 2020 and 325 thousand in 2021, before recovering to 331 thousand in 2022 and 339 thousand barrels daily in 2023. Argentina increased production from 114 thousand barrels daily in 2015 to 128 thousand in 2023, while Brazil recorded moderate growth from 88 thousand to 101 thousand barrels daily. In contrast, Venezuela's production declined significantly from 117 thousand to 44 thousand barrels daily, and the remaining countries experienced a gradual reduction in output.
Overall, the dataset indicates a long-term decline in regional NGL production, largely driven by sustained reductions in Venezuela and other producing countries. However, increasing production in Argentina and improving output in Brazil partially offset these declines, supporting a modest regional recovery during the final years of the review period. The dataset serves as a valuable resource for monitoring production trends, evaluating regional supply, supporting market analysis, forecasting future output, and enabling policymakers, researchers, investors, and industry stakeholders to develop informed energy strategies and long-term investment decisions.
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Definition- Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Production refers to the total volume of liquid hydrocarbons recovered from natural gas during production and processing within a given year. It is typically measured in thousand barrels per day (kb/d) and includes hydrocarbons that are separated from natural gas streams because they condense into liquids under normal surface conditions. Major components include ethane, propane, butane, isobutane, and natural gasoline (pentanes plus). This indicator reflects a country's capability to recover valuable liquid hydrocarbons from natural gas production and is widely used to assess upstream gas processing activity, hydrocarbon resource utilization, and supply of feedstocks for petrochemical, heating, and transportation applications.
South and Central America Natural Gas Liquids Production was 339 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2023, up 2.4% on 2022.
South and Central America Natural Gas Liquids Production moved from 411 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2015 to 339 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2023 (−17.5%), an average of −2.4% a year. The series high was 414 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2017 and the low 325 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2021.
The highest value was 414 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2017 and the lowest was 325 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2021.
Included: The data includes the production of all major natural gas liquids recovered from natural gas processing plants and field separation facilities, including ethane, propane, normal butane, isobutane, and natural gasoline (pentanes plus). It covers NGLs produced from both associated gas (produced alongside crude oil) and non-associated natural gas fields. Production from onshore and offshore operations is included, and the indicator reflects volumes recovered before further refining or fractionation into individual products. The data is compiled using standardized international energy reporting methodologies based on national production statistics and industry sources, enabling consistent comparison of NGL production across countries and over time. Excluded: The data excludes dry natural gas (methane) that remains in the gas stream after NGL extraction, as well as crude oil, lease condensate, refined petroleum products, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) produced through refinery processing rather than direct natural gas recovery. It also excludes synthetic liquid fuels derived from coal, biomass, or gas-to-liquids (GTL) technologies unless explicitly included in the reporting methodology. The indicator does not measure NGL consumption, reserves, imports, exports, storage, or petrochemical production. Minor differences may occur due to variations in national reporting standards, processing technologies, product classifications, and estimation methodologies across countries.
The series is sourced from energyinst.org (https://www.energyinst.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/1542714/684_EI_Stat_Review_V16_DIGITAL.pdf). It covers 2015–2023 and is reported in Thousand Barrels Daily.
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