LNG faces promises and perils ahead
LNG has opportunities to expand in established markets and access new ones, but the sector’s outlook is also fraught with uncertainties, from political and regulatory difficulties to chokepoints, project delays and cost overruns, says the IGU
The global LNG sector is undergoing rapid evolution, presenting new opportunities to expand supply and reach an increasing number of countries, but it also faces an array of uncertainties, the International Gas Union (IGU) said in its 2025 World LNG Outlook, published on 22 May. The world is on the brink of its next major wave of LNG supply growth in 2026, following seven years of only single-digit annual volume increases. Next year, 53.7mt of new capacity is expected to come online, including 31.1mt in North America and 15.6mt in the Middle East, according to the IGU. This contrasts with just 6.5mt of fresh capacity entering the market in 2024. Global capacity is set to grow by about 170
Also in this section
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
3 March 2026
The killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in US–Israeli strikes marks the most serious escalation in the region in decades and a bigger potential threat to the oil market than the start of the Russia-Ukraine crisis
