Domestic natural gas and crude oil production continued to grow in the first half of 2025, said a joint statement from the Ministry of Energy and the Supervisory Authority for Regulatory Affairs (SZTFH) on Thursday.
They emphasized that in order to ensure the secure supply of domestic consumers, it is advisable to rely as much as possible on energy sources available within the country’s borders. The steady increase in domestically produced energy since 2021 has significantly contributed to reducing reliance on imports.
By the end of June this year, more natural gas and crude oil were extracted in Hungary than in the first half of 2024.
According to the statement, the more striking increase was in crude oil production, which grew by around 18% – from 504,000 tons in the first six months of last year to over 593,000 tons. In the case of natural gas, there was a slight increase 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.
Thus, the momentum characteristic of the recent period has continued this year as well: Hungary’s crude oil production in 2024 exceeded 1 million tons for the first time in twenty years.
Based on current progress, 2025 could be the strongest year of the century in this regard.
Last year, approximately 1.9 billion cubic meters of natural gas were extracted from domestic fields – this volume accounted for more than one-fifth of total consumption and nearly two-thirds of residential demand, they explained.
They also recalled that, after a five-year hiatus, the Ministry of Energy announced new mining concessions last fall to harness the potential of Hungary’s mineral resources. Based on the successful conclusion of the tender processes, hydrocarbon exploration will begin at six locations. By early summer, concession agreements had been signed for all of the following areas: Buzsák, Csongrád, Hatvan, KiskÅ‘rös, Kiskunhalas, and Tamási.
The statement quotes Gábor Czepek, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry, who said: “To strengthen energy independence, we must produce everything we can from domestic sources using domestic means. To make better use of our world-class green energy capacities, we are rapidly expanding our electricity storage capabilities.
In addition to preserving the role of nuclear energy, we are also building modern gas-fired power plants to ensure the uninterrupted supply of rising electricity demand. More and more countries in Europe are realizing that our long-held position is correct: there is no energy sovereignty without traditional energy sources, and the green transition cannot be achieved without them.”
László Nagy, President of the SZTFH, stressed: “When it comes to increasing domestic hydrocarbon production, the SZTFH remains fully committed. We are actively involved in preparing the Ministry of Energy’s concession tenders. We are continuing sensitivity and load-bearing capacity assessments of additional suitable areas, thereby enabling the prompt announcement of further tenders. Every successful tender carries the potential to increase domestic production – a prospect already validated by new findings from concession-based exploration.”
Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Bruzák Noémi
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