Algeria's LNG exports to France rise to highest since March

Algeria sent 296,000 tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to France in October, up 30% on September and the highest level since March.

Awras reported the figures from the Energy Research Unit. The October shipments were up 84% on October 2025, when they were 161,000 tonnes.

Shipments in March were 347,000 tonnes.

France topped the list of buyers of Algerian LNG last month. It took about 29% of Algeria's total LNG exports of 1m tonnes.

How much gas did France buy?

Algeria's total LNG exports rose by more than 51% in October, from 680,000 tonnes in September.

From January to October, Algerian LNG shipments to France reached 2m tonnes, against 2m tonnes in the same period of 2025.

Algerian LNG covered about 16% of France's total imports in October, which reached 1.9m tonnes. France imported 15.6m tonnes of LNG in the first ten months of 2026, against 18.4m tonnes a year earlier.

Media reports said Paris had asked Sonatrach for urgent LNG and crude oil shipments. The Energy Platform had first reported on 19 October that France had made the request, as President Emmanuel Macron reached out to Gulf states and other suppliers for energy.

What about crude oil?

Algeria's crude oil exports to France rose to about 40,000 barrels a day in October, from 15,000 in September. That is an increase of more than 160%.

Over the first ten months of 2026, crude shipments to France averaged about 50,000 barrels a day. That is down 36% from 78,000 barrels a day in the same period of 2025.

France was the third largest buyer of Algerian crude over that period, after Spain at 63,000 barrels a day and South Korea at about 51,000 barrels a day.

Informed sources told the Energy Platform that Algeria could raise crude shipments to France in the current period. The increase is expected to show more clearly in November data.

Sonatrach's contract commitments to other markets limit how much extra gas Algeria can send to France.