Time for the revival

After a rough couple of years, new pockets of demand and new methods of consumption will lift prospects for gas exporters

The wave of new gas production, transport and power-generation underscores the important role of natural gas in the transition to a cleaner energy mix. It offers an affordable, reliable and plentiful fuel source that produces lower carbon emissions than other fossil fuels, while its versatility to complement the rapidly expanding renewable energy. In 2017, these benefits will again become plain. In many ways, gas has been a victim of producer success. Technical and logistical hurdles faced the industry, from stranded offshore reserves to reservoirs locked in tight or impermeable geological formations - and producers responded. New pipelines and liquefied natural gas facilities have sprung up