Glimmers beyond the glut

Global exports are heading for a hefty surplus. It will take a brave developer to sanction a sizeable new plant without lining up buyers first

The gas liquefaction construction boom is here—millions of tonnes of capacity are coming on stream over the next two or three years from the US to Malaysia, the Russian Arctic to Australia. But it's not going to last. With supply poised to outstrip demand, some developers are delaying final investment decisions (FIDs) on fresh capacity until a rebalancing of the LNG market is in sight—and that is unlikely to happen before the early-to-mid-2020s. More than 140m tonnes a year of global LNG capacity is due to be added between the start of 2016 and end-2019, with 51m t/y scheduled to start up this year alone, according to Energy Aspects, a consultancy. Much of this originates from Australia—whic