According to preliminary figures and estimates from Eurogas Member Companies and from the natural gasorganisations in Greece, Luxembourg and Portugal, total natural gas consumption in Western Europe1amounted to almost 14365 Petajoule (PJ) ***** 368 billion cubic metres (BCM)2, ***** 309 million tons of oilequivalent (MTOE)3, up by 4.1% in comparison to 1997, when gas consumption in Western Europe reachedalmost 13795 PJ / 354 BCM / 297 MTOE.This increase confirms the general trend of a steady growth of gas consumption, after the decrease induced bywarm weather in 1997 and in spite of even milder weather conditions in some European countries in 1998. Theconsumption in 1998 sets a new record, well above the previous record level in 1996 of 13888 PJ / 356 BCM/ 299 MTOE.The main reasons for this recovery are:- strong increases in gas consumption for power generation (both by power companies and industrialcustomers for auto-production of electricity);- firm growth of gas consumption in the industrial sector;- steady increase in the numbers of customers in all sectors.The increases in customers numbers confirm the fact that, owing to its environmental and economic benefits,natural gas remains the preferred fuel in the energy market. Over the last 5 years period, natural gasconsumption in Western Europe has increased by 26%, and the number of customers by 12%, reaching the levelof nearly 78 millions of customers (number of gas sales meters).
