Barrelperday

In the previous post we highlighted that a significant oversupply is building up in international LNG markets, and suppliers have to find new markets as Asia seems to get satiated with LNG. In the longer run, we expect new markets to emerge while the deployment of LNG in transportation will become more widespread. However, in […]

The birth of liquid international LNG markets In the second post of our LNG series we focus on the restructuring of LNG markets and how they transform from a rigid, long-term structure dominated by a few incumbents into a flexible and vivid market place. This restructuring opens doors for new entrants. There will be new […]

Global gas markets will be transformed in the next years, and this will affect Europe as well. This transformation will start on the liquefied natural gas (LNG) market and this post focuses on how the market has functioned so far and what events might turn it upside down.

The US chemical industry would rather export the natural gas in the form of plastics, the greens would not export it at all, and the foreign policy lobby regards gas exports as a tactical weapon against the Russians. The jury on exports is still out, literally.

A pipeline project is made of steel and political stability along its route. Both of these things got scarcer and more expensive in the past 10 years, while the alternatives became more abundant. Nabucco seemed to be a good idea 10 years ago. But then the world changed.

For the first time in history, Gazprom is transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Japan via the Arctic, and even endeavored to make the trip in November. This route is three weeks shorter than the currently used roundabout to the south, and there are no fees to be paid at the Suez Canal. All this […]

Gas is more abundant and cheaper than oil, and possibly even than coal. It will spread in heating and electricity production. Whether the same happens in transportation is more questionable – electricity may push out oil first. But if not, we may have a “methane economy” in a few decades. Whatever the outcome, the important […]

Currently natural gas in the US is cheaper than the subsidized domestic gas price level in Russia. Even if this is unlikely to last, gas will be cheap, significantly cheaper than oil, eventually everywhere. This is going to be a truly enermous global supply shock.  But the US will enjoy a cost advantage for years.