No plain sailing for Australian LNG
The country will shortly become the world's largest exporter
Since the nation's eight new liquefied natural gas export projects were sanctioned—most of which are now operational—oil prices have near halved and the dynamics of the market have changed significantly, rapidly and unpredictably. Australia's high-priced exporters face a raft of uncertainties. These have shaken the foundations of the project-financing and long-term, oil-indexed, bilateral-contract structure on which the large-scale projects were sanctioned. While views differ on the size and duration of a global LNG supply surplus, the availability of more varied supplies is spurring the entry of trading entities. At the same time, the development of trading hubs offers a more transparent an
Also in this section
16 January 2026
The country’s global energy importance and domestic political fate are interlocked, highlighting its outsized oil and gas powers, and the heightened fallout risk
16 January 2026
The global maritime oil transport sector enters 2026 facing a rare convergence of crude oversupply, record newbuild deliveries and the potential easing of several geopolitical disruptions that have shaped trade flows since 2022
15 January 2026
Rebuilding industry, energy dominance and lower energy costs are key goals that remain at odds in 2026
14 January 2026
Chavez’s socialist reforms boosted state control but pushed knowledge and capital out of the sector, opening the way for the US shale revolution
