Nikkei: Japan expects 70% of its LNG to come from North America, Australia by 2020

Most of Japan's liquefied natural gas imports will be coming from Australia and North America by 2020, government estimates show.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry also sees Japan relying less on the Middle East and Southeast Asia for this energy resource.

The ministry expects Japan to be securing a combined 60% or so of its LNG imports from the U.S. and Australia by 2020. Australia will remain Japan's top LNG source that year. Supposing the total volume of Japan's 2020 LNG imports remain at around 87 million tons, where they were in 2013, Australia will account for 40% of Japan's LNG, up from 20% last year.

This increased reliance on Australia will come as Japanese power companies start buying LNG from a large gas field being chiefly developed by Inpex, a Japanese oil and natural resources developer. MORE