Unlike oil, the country’s natural gas strategy foresees a big hike in annual production. It targets 853 billion cubic meters by the end of the decade, up by more than a third from 2023. Output in 2050 is seen topping 1 trillion cubic meters, an increase that’s largely down to a ramp-up of liquefied natural gas.
The new Russian energy plan appears to contradict statements coming out of Moscow as early as September 2024, when the country’s deputy energy minister, Pavel Sorokin, said Russia was anticipating significant growth in global oil demand through 2050 and was prepared to meet that rising demand. At the time, Sorokin also stressed that Russia will not saturate the market unless necessary. The Energy Ministry forecasts global oil demand to grow by at least 5-7 million barrels per day, a 4.5%-5.5% increase through 2030, with continued growth of at least 5% by 2050.