Inpex spends on upstream and LNG to shore up supply security

Japanese energy player Inpex is keeping an eye on the future as it invests in foreign upstream developments, chief executive Toshiaki Kitamura tells Kwok W Wan in an exclusive interview

After last year’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, Japan needs gas. And Japanese energy firm Inpex firmly believes that investing in overseas upstream and liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects is vital to not only diversify the country’s import sources, but to ensure security of supply.Japanese LNG imports hit a record high of 78.5 million tonnes last year, after the country started using gas-fired generators to offset the shutdown of its nuclear power plants. In May this year, all 54 reactors were offline. And, without any indication of when they will be brought back into operation, imports for 2012 could set new record highs. “As a result of the Fukushima incident, the most serious issue