Dawn has broken on a new day for US LNG

By NOAH BRENNER Houston

 13 December 2012 23:59 GMT

THE US is the most unlikely gas exporter in the world but, in yet another unforeseen circumstance of the onshore shale revolution, the country could begin sending liquefied natural gas abroad in as little as two years.

For several years, talk of LNG in the US focused on how many tonnes the country would need to meet the growing gap between flagging natural gas production and increasing demand.

However, increasing production from shale plays such as the Barnett, Haynesville and Marcellus flooded the market at the same time as the financial crisis destroyed demand, sending prices to the lowest level in decades.

There are now proposals filed with federal regulators to export about 28 billion cubic feet of gas per day — about 210 million tonnes per annum — from…

Become an Upstream member!

Membership includes a subscription to our weekly newspaper providing in-depth news from the energy industry, plus full-access to this site and its archives. Still not convinced? Try our free trial.

Already a member?

Login

Upstream share price index