The leading data and analytics company GlobalDatathe said US will become the third most important LNG exporting country with a total capacity of 8.9 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) by the end of 2020. The country’s export capacity in 2016 was approximately 1.2 bcfd.
The additional capacity from new trains in existing plants and newly constructed plants will reach an estimated 14.3 bcfd by the year 2025.
If approved LNG plants are able to move ahead with a final investment decision (FID), they could start production as early as 2023.
The second wave of LNG projects consists of plants that are not yet under construction but have received approval by the US FERC. During the current year, these projects are expected to reach FID. Given the current global LNG market, this seems over-optimistic.
From potential buyers, LNG developers feel pressure to offer more flexible terms in their selling contracts. When this happens, developers decide to wait for viable customers that accept some tradeoff between pricing terms and volume committed to buying.
