Gas demand could rise to as much as 600bn m³ by 2030
Chinese gas forecasts leave LNG uncertainty
There is both plenty of opportunity and plenty of risk for the LNG sector as it looks to meet China’s expanding need for gas
China’s LNG demand will remain robust as it leans on gas to transition away from coal, but how much supply the Chinese market can absorb in the coming decades will partly determine how many export projects are sanctioned in the next few years. The country’s LNG imports expanded by 18pc year-on-year in 2021, to 81.4mn t, overtaking Japan’s 75mn t to become the world’s largest buyer, according to information provider IHS Markit. Gas analysts at state-owned CNPC believe Chinese gas demand grew to an estimated 370bn m³ last year. Most medium-range outlooks within China see demand rising to as much as 600bn m³ by the end of this decade on the back of government policies that aim to lift gas to 1
Also in this section
15 May 2025
Financial problems, lack of exploration success and political dogma cause uncertainty across much of the region
14 May 2025
The invisible hand of the market has seen increasing transparency but much more needs to be done to build a better understanding
13 May 2025
A fall in Venezuelan output drives overall production lower, as Saudi Arabia starts to slowly bring more crude to the market
12 May 2025
With the gas industry’s staunchest advocates and opponents taking brutal blows, the sector looks like treading a path of insipid indifference
