page_title: Energy policy of Venezuela
section_title: Natural gas
hierarchical_section_title: Energy policy of Venezuela / Primary energy sources / Natural gas
caption_attribution_description: English: Venezuela natural gas production (OPEC)
context_page_description: Venezuela has the largest conventional oil reserves and the second-largest natural gas reserves in the Western Hemisphere. In addition Venezuela has non-conventional oil deposits approximately equal to the world's reserves of conventional oil. Venezuela is also amongst world leaders in hydroelectric production, supplying a majority of the nation's electrical power through the process.
context_section_description: As of 2013, Venezuela has the eighth-largest proved natural gas reserves in the world and the largest in South America. Proved reserves were estimated at 5.5 trillion cubic meters (tcm). However, inadequate transportation and distribution infrastructure has prevented it from making the most of its resources. More than 70% of domestic gas production is consumed by the petroleum industry. Nearly 35% of gross natural gas output are re-injected in order to boost or maintain reservoir pressures, while smaller
  amounts (5%) are vented or flared. About 10% of production volumes are subject to shrinkage as a result of the extraction of NGLs. The 2010 estimate is 176 trillion cubic feet (5,000 km³), and the nation reportedly produced about 848 billion cubic feet (2.40×10¹⁰ m³) in 2008.
  The leading gas company is PdVSA. The largest private natural gas producer is Repsol-YPF, who supplies 80-megawatt (MW) power station in Portuguesa, and plans to develop a 450-MW power plant in Obispos.
caption: Venezuela natural gas production (OPEC)
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