America's export machine cranks up
Shipments of oil and gas hit new highs in 2016. As drilling picks up and new infrastructure is built, 2017 could be another record breaker
Oil tankers and liquefied natural gas carriers are not a new site in ports along the US' Gulf Coast, long a vital hub in the global energy trade. But the direction of traffic is new. Those ships now often leave US shores laden with American crude, fuel, liquefied natural gas and natural gas liquids. US energy is making its way to all corners of the globe, disrupting long-established trade routes. One morning in late March, for instance, saw the Gallina and Valencia Knutsen LNG tankers—both members of Shell's fleet—filling up at Cheniere Energy's Sabine Pass export facility in Louisiana, ready to ferry more super-chilled US shale gas to consumers in Europe and Asia. At the same time, just up
Also in this section
4 March 2026
The US president has repeatedly promised to lower gasoline prices, but this ambition conflicts with his parallel aim to increase drilling and could be upended by his war against Iran
4 March 2026
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed following US-Israel strikes and Iran’s retaliatory escalation, Fujairah has become the region’s critical pressure release valve—and is now under serious threat
3 March 2026
The killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in US–Israeli strikes marks the most serious escalation in the region in decades and a bigger potential threat to the oil market than the start of the Russia-Ukraine crisis
2 March 2026
A potential blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following the escalating US-Iran conflict risks disrupting Qatari LNG exports that underpin global gas markets, exposing Asia and other markets to sharp price spikes, cargo shortages and renewed reliance on dirtier fuels
