Platts: Future Chinese LNG demand uncertain: speaker

China imported 12 million mt of LNG (equivalent to 1.5 Bcf/d of gas) in 2011 and is expected to import 16 million mt in 2012, a speaker said Tuesday during a webinar on the LNG market organized by the Mayer Brown law firm.

By 2020, China is slated to have at least 20 LNG import terminals, compared with five currently, and its import volume is expected to match Japan's, said Toshi Yoshida, a partner in the company's Houston office who focuses on global energy projects, particularly in Japan and other Asian countries. 

But there are many unknowns about China's future LNG demand, including the extent to which it would continue to rely on coal-based generation, to what extent it would increase the use of nuclear power, how much pipeline gas it might import from Russia and other countries and how quickly it would develop its massive shale gas resources, Yoshida said.  MORE