U.S. Energy Information Administration said Monday the U.S. became the world’s leading liquefied natural gas exporter in the first half of 2022. EIA attributed the status to increases in LNG export capacity in Texas and Louisiana, growing demand in Europe, and higher global natural gas and LNG prices. EIA said LNG export capacity grew by about 2 billion cubic feet per day since November, including capacity expansion at Cheniere’s facility in Corpus Christi.
LNG exports in U.S. increased about 12 percent to 11.2 Bcfd during the first two quarters of 2022 (71 percent to Europe) compared to the last two quarters of 2021.
EIA said European demand for American LNG is likely to continue rising as winter approaches and as Russian supplies continue falling. “The uncertainty and confusion over Russian flows and their disruption are not going away soon and will therefore continue to support and push up gas prices,” Karolina Siemieniuk of Oslo-based research firm Rystad said.
