Significant Increase in Gas Imports
Morocco witnessed a notable surge in its gas imports during October 2026, registering a 5.6% month-on-month increase, according to periodic data released by the Washington-based energy platform. The total gas imports reached 978 gigawatt-hours (GWh), an increase from 926 GWh in September 2026. When viewed from an annual perspective, the gas supply remained relatively stable, with figures showing 976 GWh in the same month last year, October 2025.
It is important to note that the Moroccan Ministry of Energy does not disclose specific sources of gas supply, indicating only that the kingdom imports liquefied natural gas (LNG) from international sources. According to the energy platform's information, a significant portion of Morocco's LNG is sourced from countries including Russia and the United States, alongside supplies provided by Shell under an agreement that dates back to 2023. The process involves re-gasifying LNG in Spain before it is pumped through the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline, previously used for transporting Algerian gas to Europe.
Annual Trends and Market Challenges
However, Morocco's gas imports faced challenges in the first ten months of 2026, experiencing a decline of 10.9% year-on-year. This decrease has been attributed to market disruptions following the U.S.-Iranian conflict that emerged in February 2026. Specifically, the total imports dropped to approximately 7.68 terawatt-hours (TWh) from January to October 2026, compared to the 8.62 TWh recorded during the same period in 2025.
The highest import levels were observed in July and October, while April was noted as the month with the least gas shipments, as indicated by data from Inagas, the operator of the Spanish gas network. The detailed monthly breakdown of Morocco's gas imports for the first ten months of 2026 is as follows: January - 822 GWh, February - 572 GWh, March - 583 GWh, April - 377 GWh, May - 778 GWh, June - 859 GWh, July - 991 GWh, August - 791 GWh, September - 926 GWh, and October - 978 GWh.
Moreover, in a related development, Morocco's imports of maritime petroleum derivatives increased by 9% during the first nine months of 2026, averaging over 271,000 barrels per day, compared to 249,000 barrels per day in the same period of 2025. In the third quarter of 2026, Moroccan imports reached approximately 278,000 barrels per day, reflecting a 7% year-on-year rise from 260,000 barrels per day previously.
The top five exporting countries to Morocco during the first nine months of 2026 accounted for about 70% of total imports, with the United States exporting around 61,000 barrels per day, followed by Russia at 50,000 barrels per day, Spain at 35,000 barrels per day, Turkey at 22,000 barrels per day, and the Netherlands at 20,000 barrels per day.
As reported by attaqa.net.
