The United States will become the largest LNG exporter in 2023, surpassing Australia and cartels

The United States became the world's largest exporter of LNG for the first time, with shipments in 2023 surpassing major suppliers Australia and Qatar. Throughout 2023, the United States exported a total of 91.2 million tons of LNG, a record for the country, according to data compiled as of December 31 last year. The increase in production comes from the restart last year of Freeport LNG in Texas, which had been shut down for months following a fire and explosion in June 2022.

Qatar, the largest LNG supplier in 2022, saw its exports shrink for the first time since at least 2016, down 1.9%, making the country the third-largest LNG exporter by volume. Australia ranks second, with exports unchanged from 2022.

It is understood that this year, two new liquefied natural gas projects will start production in the United States: Venture Global LNG Inc. at the Plaquemines facility in Louisiana and GoldenPass in Texas, a joint venture between Exxon Mobil (XOM..US) and Qatar Energy (Qatar Energy). When operating at full capacity, the two projects will add an additional 38 million tons of LNG per year from the United States.