The US is vying for the crown of the world’s largest LNG exporter

US to export more LNG in 2022, closing in on superpower Qatar Had it not been for the fire at the export factory in Texas, the US would have bypassed Qatar. Although the factory has been closed since June, production will resume later this month.

If the US becomes the world’s largest LNG exporter, this will have a direct effect on the Netherlands, according to TU Delft’s energy expert Aud Korelje. “This will not be good news for Europe,” he says. ‘Of course what you want – that’s why we’ve had a lot of coffee with them over the last year – is a spread. So some different suppliers from different countries, so you don’t depend on one country.

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He insists it’s always best to put your eggs in multiple baskets. “For example, we don’t know what kind of president America will get in the next round,” he continues. Or what the consequences will be. They view gas exports and self-sufficiency in a completely different way or may be against the approval of shale gas development. And that’s the LNG we end up with.’

Competitive position

It’s unclear how long the U.S. can compete with Qatar, but Correljé remains optimistic. “They can hold it for a while,” he says. ‘America has huge shale deposits that can still be extracted. Of course, the question is to what extent it will be allowed, but the important point is that America can continue to build it in drips and drops.’

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According to Correljé, there is a large gas field in Qatar that has a certain volume and therefore outlines a framework. “That gas field will get bigger as usual,” he says. ‘We know what’s in it. However, in the U.S., if the market permits, if prices are high enough and permits are secure, companies looking to do business in it can continue to develop shale gas.