BP's Dudley warns on LNG trade war vulnerability
Insecurity in global trade flows could have a particularly damaging impact on confidence in LNG as an energy source
Trade tensions could impact on LNG's prospects as the world transitions to cleaner energy sources, by encouraging countries to resume a dependence on domestic resources rather than imports, BP chief executive Bob Dudley told the LNG19 conference in Shanghai today. "Gas is affordable, abundant, cleaner and easily transportable thanks to LNG", says Dudley, while noting that global trade in the liquefied gas is set to more than double from 400bn m³/yr to around 900bn m³/yr by 2040. But trade wars only serve to remind countries that becoming dependent on imported energy can create political risk. "Countries need to have confidence in the security of their gas supplies," says Dudley. BP has resea
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy
