Robust supply allays Chinese gas shortage fears
Domestic and imported gas volumes appear sufficient to cover increased demand led by colder-than-average winter
China looks set to sidestep natural gas shortages this winter, even amid expectations of below-average temperatures for the season that will underpin domestic demand for gas heating. Gas supply is expected to be abundant for China’s heating season thanks to robust domestic production, imports and fuller storage, industry participants at the BNEF Summit in Shanghai said on Tuesday. The heating season runs from November to March. This is when cities in northern China use district heating systems that, in recent years, have been increasingly fuelled by gas and electricity instead of coal. Demand is expected to remain firm through winter as Beijing continues to replace coal with gas The
Also in this section
5 March 2026
Gas is a central pillar of Colombia’s energy system, but declining production poses a significant challenge, and LNG will be increasingly needed as a stopgap. A recent major offshore gas discovery offers hope, but policy improvements are also required, Camilo Morales, secretary general of Naturgas, the Colombian gas association, tells Petroleum Economist
4 March 2026
The continent’s inventories were already depleted before conflict erupted in the Middle East, causing prices to spike ahead of the crucial summer refilling season
4 March 2026
The US president has repeatedly promised to lower gasoline prices, but this ambition conflicts with his parallel aim to increase drilling and could be upended by his war against Iran
4 March 2026
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed following US-Israel strikes and Iran’s retaliatory escalation, Fujairah has become the region’s critical pressure release valve—and is now under serious threat
