LNG: lots today, even more tomorrow
Vast amounts of export capacity are coming on stream, so it's just as well that demand looks set to keep growing
The liquefied natural gas revolution is well and truly upon us. Global export capacity stands at around 290m tonnes a year, with a staggering 60m t/y of that added since early 2016 and a further 80m t/y due over the next couple of years. Australia is set to overtake Qatar as the world's largest LNG exporter next year, when Shell's Prelude floating LNG project and Inpex and Total's Ichthys facility reach full capacity. But now Qatar is back in the race, ending its long-standing moratorium on building new export capacity and fighting for its share of a fast-expanding market. Doha has lined up three new trains, which should take export capacity to 100m t/y from 77m t/y by 2023. Canny timing, it
Also in this section
19 January 2026
Newfound optimism is emerging that a dormant exploration frontier could become a strategic energy play and—whisper it quietly—Europe’s next offshore opportunity
16 January 2026
The country’s global energy importance and domestic political fate are interlocked, highlighting its outsized oil and gas powers, and the heightened fallout risk
16 January 2026
The global maritime oil transport sector enters 2026 facing a rare convergence of crude oversupply, record newbuild deliveries and the potential easing of several geopolitical disruptions that have shaped trade flows since 2022
15 January 2026
Rebuilding industry, energy dominance and lower energy costs are key goals that remain at odds in 2026
