Global LNG Exports Hit A Record High in Q1

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By Charles Kennedy – Nov 29, 2024, 11:30 AM CST

Global exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) reached a record high of 106.4 million tons in the first quarter of 2024, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) said .

In the second quarter of the year, LNG exports dropped compared to the first quarter, to 98.6 million tons, according to an analysis of the organization cited by Shafaq News. The second-quarter global LNG exports were down by 0.4% compared to the same period of last year.

In the third quarter, LNG exports rebounded to 100.9 million tons, up by 2.5% compared to the third quarter of 2023, according to the analysis by OAPEC.

LNG exports globally rose by 1.9% between January and September from a year ago, to 305.9 million tons, the organization said.

Per the OAPEC estimates, the United States remained the world’s top LNG exporter in the first nine months of the year, ahead of Australia and Qatar.

The expansion of the LNG export infrastructure over the past five years and the flexibility in cargo destination of U.S. LNG have made America the world’s biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas.

Soaring sales in Europe, which has scrambled to replace Russian pipeline gas, and more LNG projects coming online this decade boosted U.S. exports by 12% in 2023 from a year earlier. At 11.9 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of LNG exports, the United States easily beat its closest rivals – Qatar and Australia – to become the biggest LNG exporter last year, EIA data showed.

Shell, the world’s top LNG trader, expects global LNG demand to surge by 50% by 2040, driven by higher demand from Asia, with coal-to-gas switching in China and a boost in LNG consumption to fuel economic growth in South and Southeast Asia. The global LNG market is set to continue growing into the 2040s, largely driven by China’s industrial decarbonization and strengthening demand in other Asian countries, Shell said in its annual LNG outlook earlier this year.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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