LNG hubs—more global, more liquid

Demand is keeping up with supply. But new flexibility and hubs are changing the trading environment

Increasingly flexible supply helped the world's liquefied natural gas market overcome expectations of a glut to absorb an 11% increase in production last year. Higher demand in key consumer countries helped, but new infrastructure in emerging gas markets; more flexibility on contract terms and prices; international traders' increased presence; and the gradual emergence of pricing hubs in the dominant Asia-Pacific market all contributed. "This is all part of the globalisation of gas", says a long-standing industry observer. Industry officials point out that the market's ability to absorb further supply from leading producers Australia, Qatar, and the US in coming years will be linked to its a