Farage’s Gas Import Claims Scrutinized as Facts Contradict Montana Source Assertion

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage sparked controversy on Wednesday when he claimed during a BBC Breakfast interview that “most of our gas now comes from Montana in the (US) Midwest.” This statement echoes his similar assertion from April when he stated, “Most of the gas we currently import comes from Montana.”

An examination of energy import data, however, reveals significant inaccuracies in these claims about the UK’s natural gas supply chain.

Official figures show the United States ranks as only the third largest source of the UK’s total gas supply and the second largest foreign supplier behind Norway. While the US does hold the position of being the UK’s largest supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) – the form transported by ship rather than pipeline – Montana plays virtually no role in this energy relationship.

Provisional data for 2025 paints a clear picture of the UK’s gas supply landscape. The country’s domestic production reached 332,444 gigawatt hours (GWh), while imports totaled 463,692 GWh. Of these imports, Norway dominated with 320,249 GWh, while the United States contributed 104,360 GWh – all in the form of LNG.

Energy experts have questioned Farage’s specific mention of Montana, as the state is a minor player in America’s natural gas industry. According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), Montana produced approximately 40 billion cubic feet of dry gas in 2024, representing just 0.1% of America’s total production of 37.7 trillion cubic feet.

Further undercutting Farage’s claim, Montana’s gas consumption actually exceeds its production. While a 2023 report from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality acknowledged that “a significant portion” of the state’s limited gas production is exported, US Census Bureau data shows Montana’s natural gas exports in 2025 were valued at just $525,083 – and every cubic foot went to Canada, not the UK.

The Census Bureau data reveals that America’s $2.8 billion worth of natural gas exports to the UK in 2025 originated from four states: Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, and Texas. It’s worth noting that these figures represent the states from which the gas was exported, not necessarily where it was produced. Maryland and Georgia, for example, have minimal natural gas production despite being significant export hubs.

Britain’s relationship with Montana appears primarily focused on other industries. A 2021 report from the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Trade identified the UK as Montana’s fifth-largest export market in 2019, with $39 million in goods shipped. The main exports included electrical equipment, basic chemicals, navigational instruments, aerospace components, and machinery – not natural gas.

The discrepancy between Farage’s claims and the data highlights ongoing debates about energy security and import dependency in British politics. The UK has been working to diversify its energy sources since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted European gas markets, with LNG imports from the US forming an important part of this strategy.

Energy security remains a sensitive political issue in Britain, with competing visions for the country’s future energy mix. Some politicians advocate for increased domestic production, while others push for greater investment in renewables to reduce import dependency altogether.

As election campaigns intensify, scrutiny of politicians’ claims about critical infrastructure and supply chains is likely to continue, particularly on issues as fundamental to the economy as energy security.