New LNG markets prove tough nuts to crack
Floating storage and regasification has reduced entry barriers for aspiring LNG importers. But opening up a new market remains a tricky business
Most of the growth in LNG trade over the coming decades will be in Asia-Pacific. Imports into China are set to double and deliveries to South Asia to triple. However, the fastest-growing region will be Southeast Asia, according to Shell’s latest long-term LNG Outlook. It predicts that imports into the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) will grow by a staggering 553pc from 15mn t in 2020 to 98mn t in 2040. “Growth in demand is expected to come mainly from emerging markets and new entrants to the industry, such as the Philippines and Vietnam, who are only just starting to build the infrastructure needed to import LNG,” says Maarten Wetselaar, director of Shell’s In
Also in this section
8 December 2025
The Caribbean country’s role in the global oil market is significantly diminished, but disruptions caused by outright conflict would still have implications for US Gulf Coast refineries
5 December 2025
Mistaken assumptions around an oil bull run that never happened are a warning over the talk of a supply glut
4 December 2025
Time is running out for Lukoil and Rosneft to divest international assets that will be mostly rendered useless to them when the US sanctions deadline arrives in mid-December
3 December 2025
Aramco’s pursuit of $30b in US gas partnerships marks a strategic pivot. The US gains capital and certainty; Saudi Arabia gains access, flexibility and a new export future






