• 3 min de lectura
• 3 min de lectura
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) buyers are looking to diversify their supply sources as the United States and Israel's war against Iran reduces shipments from the Gulf, leading importers to seek alternative suppliers for this fuel, ranging from West Africa to Indonesia.
While Asian governments aim to secure LNG cargoes from sellers with access to diverse suppliers, producers and trading companies want to expand their supply reserves by taking stakes in gas projects and purchasing from different countries, according to industry officials and executives.
"Many governments are thinking not only about supplier diversification but also about supply route diversification," said Sue-Ern Tan, head of the International Energy Agency's regional cooperation center in Singapore.
This drive for diversification could benefit projects located outside the U.S. and Qatar (countries that dominate planned capacity increases), despite Qatar's LNG infrastructure suffering damage early in the war.
"Thai state-owned company PTT is seeking supplies from Oman, North America, and West Africa," said Bandhit Thamprajamchit, Chief Operating Officer of its exploration, production, and gas business.
Its trading division signed a long-term agreement with Norway's Equinor for gas supply on Friday, September 18.
Before the Iran war virtually closed the Strait of Hormuz, Bangladesh relied on Qatar for most of its LNG imports. Now it is looking for options in Indonesia, Australia, and China, said Bangladesh's Energy Minister, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, during the conference.
At the beginning of the Iran war, Asian state-owned energy buyers were forced to acquire replacement cargoes in the spot market; companies like PetroChina and India's Gail were able to turn to other regions for substitute supplies, albeit paying higher premiums for them.
"Despite the loss of 36 million metric tons of supply from the Middle East, new capacity additions meant that the net supply loss this year is only about 5 million tons, or between 1% and 1.5% of global supply," said Tom Summers, Executive Vice President of LNG Marketing and Distribution at Shell, at the conference.
"Additionally, the incorporation of 70 to 80 new LNG carriers each year provides greater flexibility in shipping," he added.
According to conference speakers, high LNG prices and the demand for diversified supplies have improved prospects for new producers such as Argentina, Timor Leste, and Tanzania.
"Timor Leste plans two newly built LNG plants. A 5 million-ton capacity facility for the long-delayed Greater Sunrise gas fields and another 1.5 million-ton facility to utilize the remaining gas from Bayu-Undan," Energy Minister Francisco da Costa Monteiro told Reuters.
Takayuki Ueda, CEO of Japanese energy company Inpex, noted that exploration and production companies are now focusing on "the resilience and diversification of their portfolios, the diversification of supply sources, and the security of the entire supply chain."
"Inpex is focused on the development of the Abadi gas field in Indonesia, with a final investment decision expected by mid-2027 for this 9.5 million-ton project," Ueda indicated. In the longer term, Inpex seeks to diversify into the Americas, with an eye on the United States and possibly Brazil.
Paul Marsden, President of engineering company Bechtel, noted that he anticipates new supply from East Africa through projects like Rovuma (by ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies), as well as from Saudi Arabia and the Americas.