China can't get enough
The East Asian country is hungry for LNG and is on course to become one of the world's top importers
For global liquefied natural gas observers, perhaps one of the most significant developments over the past 18 months has been the strong and not entirely anticipated upswing in demand for LNG from China. The share of LNG imports in China's overall gas mix has been steadily rising, from a low of 0.8m tonnes in early 2012 to over 3.6m tonnes, and climbing, in early 2017. More pronounced spikes in LNG imports were seen in the winter of 2016-17, when China leant more heavily on spot cargoes to meet its heating, power and transport needs. This year, new clean air policies are pushing up demand for LNG to unprecedented levels. The upward trend is a sign of China's growing appetite for LNG, which l
Also in this section
10 March 2026
By shutting the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has cut exports of distillate-rich Middle Eastern crude, jet fuel and diesel, and is holding the energy market hostage
10 March 2026
Eni’s director for global gas and LNG portfolio, Cristian Signoretto, discusses how demand will respond to rising LNG supply, and how the company is expanding its own gas and LNG operations through disciplined, capital-efficient investments
9 March 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis sees increases in output from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Kazakhstan among others before region’s murky descent
9 March 2026
Energy sanctions are becoming an increasingly prominent tool of US foreign policy, with the country’s growth in oil and gas production allowing it to impose pressure on rivals without jeopardising its own energy security or that of its allies, argues Matthew McManus, a visiting fellow at the National Center for Energy Analytics
