LNG tanker at Poland's Swinoujscie terminal
The emergence of the US as a global LNG superpower
The US' meteoric rise as an exporter of the super-chilled fuel has redrawn the global energy map, with far-reaching implications
Less than a decade ago, the US was a net natural gas importer and sold hardly any gas overseas. But with the huge increase in US gas production—namely the meteoric rise of shale gas—along with the accompanying growth in LNG export terminal capacity, that narrative has been turned upside down. The US is now the world’s number-one supplier of the super-chilled fuel, has transformed the global LNG landscape and has the potential to redraw the global gas map indefinitely. The great shale gas rush The zero-to-hero story of US LNG exports begins with the huge technological breakthroughs in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling in the mid-2000s, which were techniques that enabled access to,
Also in this section
2 April 2026
Alongside a rapid continued build-out of renewables, China’s latest five-year plan stresses the value of domestic hydrocarbon production for energy security and calls for increased Russian gas imports
2 April 2026
The government is taking important steps to revive domestic production, lift investment and benefit from the geopolitical crisis even if more needs to be done in the longer term
1 April 2026
Golden Pass’s startup offers QatarEnergy a timely boost but may also force a difficult choice between honouring disrupted contracts and capitalising on soaring spot LNG prices
1 April 2026
It is not a case of if or when, but the length and magnitude of economic damage from elevated oil prices
