Algerian LNG exports hit highest level since October

Algerian LNG exports jumped to 1.04 million tons in May 2026, the best monthly result since October 2025 and a sharp recovery from what had been a difficult start to the year, according to a June 5th report by Observalgerie. April had come in at 0.70 million tons, so the month-on-month gain was close to 50%. Year-on-year, exports were up 8.3%.

France topped the buyer rankings for the third month in a row, taking in approximately 234,000 tons. The figure is actually 9% below what France imported in May 2025. In this regard, France’s position at the front reflects more a softening of competition than any particular surge in French demand. Turkey was second at 203,000 tons, also modestly down on last year.

Spain’s 200,000 tons mark a major return to the market. The country had halted its regular buying since November 2025. It received only a single 74,000-ton cargo in March 2026. In May 2025, Spanish imports were limited to 68,000 tons. Italy took 192,000 tons, Croatia 76,000 tons, with the Netherlands and UK picking up 68,000 and 61,000 tons respectively.

The January low was the real reference point for how far things have come. Exports during the first month of 2026 collapsed to 0.44 million tons, the second-worst figure on record. At the time, the Algerian gas sector was hit particularly hard by maintenance shutdowns. February brought some recovery at 0.67 million tons, March pushed to 0.94 million tons, April slipped back, then May broke through.

Production numbers gave Algeria room to move. Output grew 4.1% in the first quarter versus the same period last year, totalling 29 billion cubic meters. March production alone hit 9.66 billion cubic meters.

Hormuz disruptions did the rest. With Qatari and Emirati shipments squeezed by the shipping trouble, European buyers needed alternatives fast. Algeria had the volumes, and crucially, none of the geography problems.

This promising LNG export spike takes place as Algeria officially begins the construction of the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP). The project is designed to create a corridor from Nigeria through Niger and into Algeria to deliver natural gas to the European market.

Observalgerie, Maghrebi.org.