US regains top spot as LNG exporter in H1 2023
The US regained its top spot on the list of LNG exporters in the first half this year, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) said September 12, boosting exports of the chilled fuel by 4% compared to the first half last year.
Citing data from CEDIGAZ, the EIA said in its Today in Energy report US LNG exports in the January to June period this year averaged 11.6bn ft3/day, up from 11.1bn ft3/day in the year ago period. The rise in exports coincided with the return to service of the Freeport LNG facility, the second largest in the US, which had been shuttered since a June 2022 fire, and strong global demand for LNG, particularly from Europe.
Australia was second on the global exporter list, the EIA said, averaging 10.6bn ft3/day, while Qatar was third, at 10.4bn ft3/day.
EU countries and the UK remained the top destination for US LNG, accounting for 67.7% of all US exports. Five countries – the Netherlands, the UK, France, Spain and Germany – took more than half (about 6bn ft3/day) of all US exports.