Gas production in Uzbekistan for the first 11 months of 2023 amounted to 42.75 billion cubic meters, showing a decrease of 9.6%, or 4.56 billion cubic meters, compared to the same period last year, according to a report from the Agency of Statistics on industrial production, Gazeta.uz reports.
The average monthly gas production was 3.89 billion cubic meters, while for January-November 2022, the average was 4.3 billion cubic meters per month.
In November, gas production dropped to 3.79 billion cubic meters, almost the same volume as the previous month but 10.2% lower, or 433.8 million cubic meters less than in November 2022 (4.3 billion).
To cover the shortfall in domestic production, authorities import gas from Turkmenistan and Russia, turning Uzbekistan into a net gas importer.
Electricity production increased by 4.5%, or 2.98 billion kWh, for the first 11 months compared to the same period last year, rising from 66.67 billion to 69.66 billion kWh. In November, 6.63 billion kWh were generated, which is 1.4% lower than the same month last year.
Approximately 80-85% of the electricity produced in Uzbekistan comes from thermal power stations that operate on gas.
Coal production for January-August already exceeded last year's figures after a sharp decline in the first half of the year. Volumes reached 3.77 million tons (+10.4%), including a record-breaking 673.7 thousand tons in August, 40.2% more than in August 2022.
Coal production for the first 11 months increased to 5.73 million tons (+19.1%). However, after rapid production growth in previous quarters, a decline began after September (685 thousand tons). In October, 657 thousand tons of coal were mined, and in November, 614 thousand tons. Nevertheless, this is much higher than the monthly figures of last year (484 and 432 thousand tons).
Oil production fell from 721.3 to 709.3 thousand tons (-1.7% or 12 thousand tons). Production has been decreasing for the fourth consecutive month, from 64.7 thousand tons in July to 60.9 thousand tons in November, the lowest figure in the last two years. For comparison, in November 2022, oil production was 65 thousand tons.
During this period, 1.21 million tons of automotive gasoline were produced, which is 8.7% more than the same period in 2022, or 97.4 thousand tons. After a sharp drop in production in May due to repairs at the Bukhara oil refinery, gasoline production more than doubled in June (100.1 thousand tons), July (133.2 thousand tons), August (108 thousand tons), September (113.8 thousand tons), and October (100.3 thousand tons).
In November, 109.3 thousand tons of gasoline were produced, slightly less than in November of the previous year.
The production of thermal energy for eight months decreased by 9.1%, from 23.3 to 21.2 million Gcal, and gas condensate production decreased from 1.17 to 1.09 million tons (-7%).
Despite the challenges in the energy sector, according to the Uzbekistan Agency of Statistics, industrial production managed to achieve a 6% growth.
Due to a threefold reduction in tax rates on natural gas and a twofold reduction for oil and gas condensate, Uzbekistan's state budget lost 538.1 billion sum in mineral extraction tax in 2022. In the previous year, gas production fell by 4%, and gas condensate by 2.8%, while oil production increased by only 1.8%.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
December 21, 2023