EU imports of petroleum oils fell sharply in the first nine months of 2025, while purchases of liquefied natural gas surged, reflecting a continued shift in the bloc’s energy mix, according to Eurostat data.

Based on monthly averages, the value of petroleum oil imports declined by 18.3 per cent compared with 2024, while volumes were down 6.6 per cent.

By contrast, liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports rose strongly, with their value increasing by 36.1 per cent and volumes up by 25.9 per cent over the same period.

Imports of natural gas in gaseous form showed a more mixed picture. While their value edged up by 3.1 per cent, volumes fell by 4.9 per cent, pointing to higher prices rather than increased demand.

Supplier patterns in the third quarter of 2025 underline the EU’s growing reliance on a limited number of key partners. Norway remained the largest supplier of petroleum oils, accounting for 14.6 per cent of imports, narrowly ahead of the United States at 14.5 per cent, while Kazakhstan ranked third with a 12.2 per cent share.

The US dominated LNG supplies, providing nearly 60 per cent of the EU’s imports during the quarter.

Russia followed with 12.7 per cent, while Algeria accounted for 7.7 per cent.

Norway was also the EU’s main supplier of natural gas in gaseous form, covering 51.8 per cent of imports.

Algeria ranked second with a 14.6 per cent share, followed by the United Kingdom at 13.4 per cent, according to Eurostat.

For Cyprus, which remains fully dependent on imported fuels, national data point to a different demand dynamic. Because the island does not produce petroleum products domestically, monthly petroleum product sales published by the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat) act as a close proxy for import activity, covering fuels supplied to road transport, aviation, shipping, industry, government departments and international organisations.

Cystat data show that petroleum product sales recorded year-on-year increases in several months of 2025.

In June, total sales reached 140,669 tonnes, up 10.4 per cent compared with June 2024, while July sales rose to 144,790 tonnes, marking an annual increase of 7.7 per cent.

Volumes eased slightly in August to 123,378 tonnes, representing a 1.0 per cent decline year on year, before rebounding in September to 144,720 tonnes, up 11.2 per cent.

In October, petroleum product sales stood at 141,540 tonnes, reflecting a 4.7 per cent annual rise.

Overall, petroleum product sales in Cyprus increased by around 4.7 per cent in the January–October 2025 period compared with the same months of 2024, showing an overall rise in import-linked fuel volumes for the island economy, according to official data.