Some LNG exporting countries may become importers — Shell

Cederic Cremers of British oil and gas company Shell expects Indonesia, Malaysia, and Algeria to become net importers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as their domestic demand increases and production declines. This follows a similar shift made by Egypt last year. Such a trend may offset potential oversupply from the slate of upcoming projects, Reuters reports.

On the sidelines of the World Gas Conference, Cremers mentioned the potential arrival of about 50 million tons of LNG on the market by 2040. Despite forecasts of surplus in 2027–2028 due to the expansion of Qatar's North Field and projects in the United States, Shell expects global demand for gas to increase by 60% by 2040.

Shell attributes this strong outlook to several factors: continued economic growth in Asia, the rising energy needs of data centers and artificial intelligence, and the global push for industries to switch to cleaner-burning natural gas.