Opportunities grow as shippers chart course with LNG
Rapid uptake of LNG-powered vessels presents multi-billion dollar opportunity for gas producers
Stricter environmental regulations could provide gas producers with a billion-dollar business opportunity over the next few years, as the number of ships using liquefied natural gas (LNG) for fuel looks set to expand rapidly. There are around 30 LNG-fuelled ships currently in operation, but the fleet could increase to 10,000 by 2020 due to new global maritime regulations effectively outlawing heavy fuel oil (HFO) for ship fuel, according to Norwegian LNG bunkering firm Gasnor. And this could add another 5 million tonnes a year of LNG demand, head of commercial Trude Gullaksen told Petroleum Economist. At $8 per million British thermal units (Btu), the average European gas price, this would m
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy






