MOSCOW, September 23. /TASS/. Russia increased its total gas production, including natural and associated petroleum gas, by 3.4% year-on-year in the first eight months of 2026 to 446.5 billion cubic meters (bcm), according to the federal statistics service (Rosstat).

In particular, natural gas production over the eight-month period totaled 379 bcm, up 3.8% year-on-year. In August alone, production stood at 41.3 bcm, marking a 4.5% increase month-on-month and a 1.1% gain compared to August 2025.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) output in January-August rose by 13.7% year-on-year to 23.1 million tonnes. August LNG production totaled 2.5 million tonnes, up 7.6% from July and 29.7% higher than in August 2025.

Meanwhile, associated petroleum gas production edged down 0.1% to 67.5 bcm during the reporting period.

In 2025, Russia's total gas output shrank by 3% to 663.3 bcm.

According to the Economic Development Ministry's forecast, gas production in the country will reach 688.4 bcm in 2026, 711.3 bcm in 2027, and 731.9 bcm in 2028.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts a 3% increase in Russian gas production for 2026, reaching 683 bcm.