Business Insider: Where are the world’s largest natural gas reserves?

Unconventional gas reserves, including shale gas and coal seam methane, are now at least as abundant as conventional reserves, according to the International Energy Agency

It is also getting cheaper and easier to exploit previously inaccessible resources. The result has been a long decline in natural gas prices.

Those low prices aren't good news for everybody. Major natural gas exporters, some of whom have made significant capital investment to exploit gas reserves, will see lower profits and less government revenue. For countries whose economies depend heavily on gas exports, low prices could put pressure on their finances.

The countries in the following list of natural gas exporters are ranked by natural gas rents as a percentage of GDP. Natural gas rent is the difference between the value of natural gas production at world prices and total costs of production. Data is from 2010 unless otherwise noted.

#21: Canada

Natural gas exports: 92.4 billion m3

Natural gas rents: 0.3 percent of GDP

Percentage of proven reserves: 0.9 percent

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World EnergyWorld Bank

#20: Australia

Natural gas exports: 25.36 billion m3

Natural gas rents: 0.7 percent of GDP

Percentage of proven reserves: 1.6 percent

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World EnergyWorld Bank

#19: Indonesia

Natural gas exports: 41.25 billion m3

Natural gas rents: 0.9 percent of GDP 

Percentage of proven reserves: 1.6 percent

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World EnergyWorld Bank

#18: Netherlands

Natural gas exports: 53.33 billion m3

Natural gas rents: 1.1 percent of GDP

Percentage of proven reserves: 0.6 percent 

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World EnergyWorld Bank

#17: Nigeria

Natural gas exports: 24.02 billion m3

Natural gas rents: 2.2 percent of GDP

Percentage of proven reserves: 2.8 percent

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World EnergyWorld Bank

#16: Kazakhstan

Natural gas exports: 11.96 billion m3

Natural gas rents: 2.7 percent of GDP

Percentage of proven reserves: 1 percent 

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World EnergyWorld Bank

#15: Norway

Natural gas exports: 100.59 billion m3

Natural gas rents: 2.9 percent of GDP

Percentage of proven reserves: 1.1 percent

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World EnergyWorld Bank

#14: Yemen

Natural gas exports: 5.48 billion m3

Natural gas rents: 3 percent of GDP

Percentage of proven reserves: 0.3 percent

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World EnergyWorld Bank

#13: Russia

Natural gas exports: 199.85 billion m3

Natural gas rents: 3.6 percent of GDP

Percentage of proven reserves: 23.9 percent

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World Energy, World Bank

#12: Azerbaijan

Natural gas exports: 6.45 billion m3

Natural gas rents: 3.9 percent of GDP

Percentage of proven reserves: 0.7 percent 

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World EnergyWorld Bank

#11: Malaysia

Natural gas exports: 31.99 billion m3

Natural gas rents: 3.9 percent of GDP

Percentage of proven reserves: 1.3 percent

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World EnergyWorld Bank

#10: Egypt

Natural gas exports: 15.17 billion m3

Natural gas rents: 3.9 percent of GDP 

Percentage of proven reserves: 1.2 percent

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World EnergyWorld Bank

#9: Iran

Natural gas exports: 8.42 percent billion m3

Natural gas rents: 6.8 percent of GDP (2009)

Percentage of proven reserves: 15.8 percent

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World EnergyWorld Bank

#8: Oman

Natural gas exports: 11.49 billion m3

Natural gas rents: 7.6 percent of GDP

Percentage of proven reserves: 0.4 percent

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World EnergyWorld Bank

#7: Algeria

Natural gas exports: 55.79 billion m3

Natural gas rents: 7.8 percent of GDP 

Percentage of proven reserves: 2.4 percent

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World EnergyWorld Bank

#6: Bolivia

Natural gas exports: 11.65 billion m3

Natural gas rents: 9.0 percent of GDP

Percentage of proven reserves: 0.2 percent 

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World EnergyWorld Bank

#5: Qatar

Natural gas exports: 94.9 billion m3

Natural gas rents: 14.5 percent of GDP (2009)

Percentage of proven reserves: 13.5 percent

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World EnergyWorld Bank

#4: Brunei Darussalam

Natural gas exports: 8.63 billion m3

Natural gas rents: 18 percent of GDP (2009)

Percentage of proven reserves: 0.2 percent

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World EnergyWorld Bank

#3: Uzbekistan

Natural gas exports: 13.56 billion m3

Natural gas rents: 18.1 percent of GDP

Percentage of proven reserves: 0.6 percent

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World EnergyWorld Bank

#2: Turkmenistan

Natural gas exports: 19.73 billion m3

Natural gas rents: 24.2 percent of GDP

Percentage of proven reserves: 4.3%

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World EnergyWorld Bank

#1: Trinidad and Tobago

Natural gas exports: 20.38 billion m3

Natural gas rents: 25.8 percent of GDP

Percentage of proven reserves: 0.2 percent

Sources: BP's Statistical Review of World EnergyWorld Bank

That's where the gas is. Who has the oil?

More from our partners at Business Insider:

Business Insider: Why Wall Streeters Are Packing Up In Droves And Moving To Singapore

Business Insider: Scientific Concepts That Everyone Should Understand

Business Insider: Jeb Bush on Reagan and Today's Republican Party

Business Insider: The High Cost of Northern Canadian Living

Business Insider: The Bizarre Questions of Yale Secret Societies

Invest in independent global news

The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!