EIA: global trade in LNG continued to grow in 2023

Expanded export and import capacity and increasing natural gas demand drove the growth in global LNG trade last year.

LNG export capacity expanded primarily in the US, Mozambique, Russia, Indonesia, Norway, and Oman. In the US, Freeport LNG returned to service in February 2023 after being offline since June 2022, and it was operating at full production capacity by April. Developers in both Mozambique and Russia commissioned new projects in 2022 — the 0.4 billion ft³/d Coral South Floating LNG in Mozambique and the 0.2 billion ft³/d Portovaya LNG in Russia — and these projects reached full production in 2023. In Indonesia, the Tangguh LNG export facility added a third train. Norway and Oman increased LNG production capacity by optimising operational efficiency of existing LNG plants.

In 2023, the US became the world’s largest LNG exporter, with exports increasing by 12% compared with 2022. Exports from the three largest global LNG exporters — the US, Australia, and Qatar—accounted for 60% of all LNG exports in 2023. Algeria’s LNG exports increased 0.4 billion ft³/d as additional natural gas feedstock became available from the newly commissioned production fields. Exports also increased from Norway and Australia mainly due to optimisation of the export plants’ operational performance and from Indonesia after a capacity expansion at Tangguh LNG.

LNG import capacity was expanded primarily in Europe and Asia. In Europe, operators placed several new floating storage and regasification Units in service and expanded regasification capacity at some existing terminals. In Asia, new capacity was added primarily in China, India, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Asian countries continued to lead the growth in LNG imports globally, with imports increasing by 3.5% in 2023. LNG imports increased by 12% in China, the most of any country in the world, making China the world’s largest LNG importer for the second year since 2021. LNG imports in India increased by 11% as new regasification terminals were placed in service and LNG prices declined. Lower LNG prices also contributed to increased imports into Thailand (by 0.4 billion ft³/d), Bangladesh (0.1 billion ft³/d), and Singapore (by 0.1 billion ft³/d).

LNG imports in Europe increased slightly by 1.4%. Imports into Germany — the newest LNG importer—averaged 0.7 billion ft³/d. Imports also increased to countries that expanded regasification capacity, such as the Netherlands, Italy, and Finland. LNG imports to the UK, France, and Spain declined by a combined 1.3 billion ft³/d, mainly because natural gas demand in these countries decreased.

In Latin America, LNG imports increased mainly in Colombia, by 0.1 billion ft³/d. Colombia experienced drought and used LNG for natural gas-fired electric power plants to offset lower hydropower generation. In Brazil, LNG imports declined by 0.2 billion ft³/d because more electricity was generated by hydropower, reducing demand for natural gas-fired electricity generation in 2023. LNG imports into Puerto Rico also increased by 0.1 billion ft³/d.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/17072024/eia-global-trade-in-lng-continued-to-grow-in-2023/