Middle East LNG imports set to soar
Gas shortages will prompt expansion in regional demand for liquefied natural gas
Between 2014 and 2016, LNG imports in the Middle East more than doubled, from 4.1m tonnes a year to 9.9m t/y. Growth is expected to continue accelerating, with another near-doubling by 2020, according to some estimates. The region certainly has sufficient regasification capacity to make that possible. The projects already in operation—all of which are floating storage and regasification units (FSRU)—have a combined capacity of some 24m t/y. Projects in advanced stages of planning could add another 15-18m t/y by the early 2020s. The region's list of LNG importers already includes Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and Jordan. Bahrain is expected to join them by end-2018 or early next ye
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