Pezeshkian says Iran’s gas production capacity has reached 300 bcm, keeping country third among global producers

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that Iran had increased its annual natural gas production capacity to about 300 billion cubic meters despite international sanctions, maintaining its position as the world’s third-largest gas producer.

Speaking at the eighth Gas Exporting Countries Forum summit in Moscow, Pezeshkian said Iran’s domestic gas use was also among the highest globally, reflecting the unusually large role natural gas plays in the country’s energy system.

Iranian government figures put annual production capacity at 300 bcm, but recent international data place actual marketed production somewhat lower. The Gas Exporting Countries Forum recorded 270.8 bcm of marketed Iranian gas production in 2024, while U.S. Energy Information Administration data put total production at roughly 279 bcm.

Those figures nevertheless place Iran third globally behind the United States and Russia in natural gas production.

Most of Iran’s gas is consumed domestically. International Energy Agency data show consumption at about 260 bcm in 2024, while the EIA ranks Iran as the world’s fourth-largest gas consumer after the United States, Russia and China.

Pezeshkian said natural gas accounts for about 70% of Iran’s energy mix and that roughly 95% of the population is connected to the national gas network.

Iran holds the world’s second-largest proven natural gas reserves, but sanctions, infrastructure constraints and rapidly rising domestic demand have limited its ability to turn those reserves into large-scale exports.