The National Gas System (SNG) is essentially organized around the operation of the public natural gas network, comprising the National Transmission Network, Storage Facilities and Liquefied Natural Gas Terminals and the National Natural Gas Distribution Network.

Natural gas is not available in Portugal, i.e.100% of what is consumed here is imported. Natural gas is supplied to the Portuguese market under long-term take-or-pay contracts, with Algeria and Nigeria as the main suppliers.

Natural gas arrives in Portugal through pipelines or by sea and is stored in facilities that allow it to be safely supplied to transmission networks. Between the transmission network and consumer facilities there are distribution networks, which reduce the pressure and convey natural gas flows to consumers.

The natural gas supply activity is the last stage in the natural gas supply chain and the one directly related to consumers.

Consumers are free to choose their supplier and to switch whenever they find offers better suitable for their type of consumption. Suppliers of last resort (SLR) exist to guarantee the supply of electricity to economically vulnerable customers, whose market supplier has been prevented from operating or in areas or market segments where there are no supply offers on the free market.

To find out more about this, have a look at the pedagogical guide Natural gas: how does it work?

Have a look at the dashboard on the Use of Gas Sector Infrastructures. This tool contains statistical information on the Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal, Underground Storage Facilities, the Virtual Interconnection Point and the National Gas Transmission Network.