Growing Domestic Natural Gas and Crude Oil Production

In a joint statement on Thursday, the Ministry of Energy (EM) and the Regulatory Activities Supervisory Authority emphasized that, in order to ensure a secure supply for domestic consumers, it is advisable to rely as much as possible on energy sources available within the country's borders. The steady increase in the amount of energy produced domestically since 2021 has greatly contributed to reducing import exposure.

By the end of June this year, more gas and crude oil had been extracted in Hungary than in the first half of 2024.

According to the announcement, the most spectacular growth, around 18 percent, was seen in crude oil, with production rising to over 593,000 tons, compared to 504,000 tons in the first six months of last year. In the case of natural gas, there appears to be a small surplus compared to the 956 million cubic meters produced between January and June 2024, with production in the first half of 2025 reaching 977 million cubic meters.

The momentum characteristic of the recent period is therefore continuing this year: Hungary's crude oil production exceeded 1 million tons in 2024 for the first time in 20 years. Based on the progress made so far, 2025 could be the strongest year of the century in this respect. Last year, approximately 1.9 billion cubic meters of natural gas were extracted from domestic fields, which corresponds to more than one-fifth of total consumption and nearly two-thirds of residential demand, according to the report.