Global LNG Market

Liquefied natural gas or LNG is natural gas that has been processed to remove either valuable components e.g. helium, or those impurities that could cause difficulty downstream. LNG offers an energy density comparable to petrol and diesel fuels and produces less pollution, but its relatively high cost of production and the need to store it in expensive cryogenic tanks have prevented its widespread use in commercial applications.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the U.S. could face a gap in supply of natural gas of about five trillion cubic feet (Tcf) by 2020. Consequently, increased imports of natural gas will be required to meet future shortfalls. Canada may not be able to sustain increasing volumes of exports to the U.S. due to Canada’s own increasing demand for natural gas. The EIA expects LNG imports to reach 0.8 Tcf a year by 2020, or about three percent of our total consumption. The demand for LNG is expected to grow. To make LNG available for use in the U.S., energy companies must invest in the LNG value chain, which is a number of different operations that are highly linked and dependent upon one another. Natural gas can be economically produced and delivered to the U.S. as LNG in a price range of about $2.50 - $3.50 per million Btu (MMBtu) at Henry Hub in Louisiana, depending largely on shipping cost.

The emergence of LNG is not only due to its efficiency and eco-friendliness, but also due to economical reasons. LNG is quite competitive vis-à-vis alternative sources such as naphtha, crude and coal and is also competitive vis-à-vis piped gas if transported over distances exceeding 2000 km.

With projected decreases in conventional onshore and offshore natural gas production and the projected decline in natural gas imports through to 2025, growth in U.S. and global natural gas supplies will depend on non-conventional domestic production, natural gas imports, and imports of LNG.

With the rise in commercial activity of LNG, Aruvian Research brings you a report focusing on the Global LNG Market. The report covers basic topics such as what is LNG to more in depth ones such as the economics of LNG, barriers to the growth of LNG, growth drivers, major players, major LNG terminals, etc.