Algeria, Europe’s third largest natural gas supplier, is planning to boost LNG and pipeline exports to the continent this year as it continues to wean off Russian supplies.

Nearly 85% of the country’s gas exports are already designated for Europe, making Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s pledge to nearly double them to 100 billion cubic meters (Bcm), or about 3.5 Tcf, a challenge. The goal is further complicated by politics, increasing domestic consumption, pipeline constraints and the inability to fully utilize Algeria’s 30 million metric tons/year of liquefaction capacity.

Algeria’s 2022 gas production of 102 Bcm was up slightly from 100.8 Bcm produced the prior year. Those gains came after twenty years of annual production levels that hovered between 80-90...