LNG

The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), known as the OPEC of LNG and pipeline gas, is preparing for its 7th Summit meeting with members scheduled to start arriving at the end of February in the Algerian capital of Algiers.

The GECF, whose secretariat is based in Doha in Qatar, will attempt to put some context into the geopolitical and economic challenges facing LNG and pipeline natural gas producers.

Although the GECF counts Qatar among its members the other main LNG producers, Australia and the US, have never been members nor will they be sending observers.

The GECF meeting will have 19 countries in attendance who together represent over 70 percent of the world’s proven gas reserves, 43 percent of its marketed production, 52 percent of pipeline gas and 58 percent of LNG exports.

Algeria, which is a key supplier of LNG to Europe from its Skikda and Arzew liquefaction plants and with gas pipelines connected to Italy and Spain, said it would use the occasion to “build a consensus” between the producing states to preserve the interests of gas exporters.

Algiers Declaration

Meetings will start on February 29 and the actual summit will take place on March 2, after which the LNG nations will issue what will be known as the “Algiers Declaration”.

The meeting is expected to support emerging African LNG nations and existing producers in their fight to alleviate energy poverty, in particular through better access to financial resources for gas development as well as improved energy security.

GECF Secretary General, Mohamed Hamel, who is himself an Algerian outlined what is on the agenda for the 12 nations who are members and the other seven countries who will attend as observers.

“This summit presents an opportunity for leaders to engage in comprehensive discussions encompassing geopolitical, economic and policy developments, providing an avenue to delve into both the immediate and long-term prospects and challenges in the natural gas sector,” explained Secretary General Hamel.

“Moreover, the summit will reiterate the important role of our Forum in strengthening cooperation among member countries, advocating for natural gas as a pivotal element in achieving the UN’s sustainable development goals, ensuring stability in natural gas markets and addressing energy security, affordability, and sustainability,” he added.

Prior to the March 2 summit, a high-level working group will meet and an Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting will be held to “prepare essential documents” for the summit, including the Declaration.

The summit will be complemented by a series of side events such as the inauguration of the Headquarters in Algiers of the newly established GECF Gas Research Institute.

Global Gas Outlook

Additionally, the delegates will approve and issue the latest edition of the “Global Gas Outlook”, one of the GECF's flagship publications.

Finally, there will be a signing ceremony for Memoranda of Understanding with the African Energy Commission (AFREC) and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).

Preparations for the summit have been undertaken by the Algerian National Committee in collaboration with the GECF Secretariat and “all of the necessary resources have been mobilised to ensure ideal conditions for a successful and productive” summit.

“I am confident that this summit will go beyond discussions and collaborations, providing delegates the opportunity to immerse themselves in Algeria's distinctive culture and warm hospitality,” Hamel stated.

The 12 GECF members are Algeria, Bolivia, Equatorial Guinea, Egypt, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.

There are also seven observer members: Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mozambique and Peru.

Latin American and Caribbean nations imported more LNG during the first quarter and there was also a surge in cargo re-loads in Europe as well as quarterly and March exports from global liquefaction plants.

The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), the OPEC of natural gas and LNG, has held its 24th Ministerial Meeting in Cairo and stated that attempts to cap natural gas prices because of political motives were detrimental for producers and consumers.

The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), the group of leading LNG exporting nations and gas producers based in Qatar and known as the OPEC of natural gas, has just held a virtual ministerial meeting and discussed the prices issue while warnings that over-green policies could lead to energy crises.

The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), based in Qatar and known as the OPEC of natural gas, and the the International Gas Union were among the participants in a wide-ranging online discussion held by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) on future LNG and pipeline gas use.

The Web gathering was entitled “99 minutes of LNG - trends, developments and innovative” and examined the need for a more vibrant natural gas industry due to the long-term benefits it brings and its key role in the energy transition.

The session was organised by the UNECE’s Group of Experts on Gas and featured speakers from the GECF and the IGU in addition to several UN member states and for leading gas companies from 10 nations, including Germany, Indonesia, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Russia and the US.

The GECF was represented by Hussein Moghaddam, Senior Energy Forecast Analyst at the Secretariat in the Qatari capital, Doha.

Moghaddam presented the latest data on Covid-19's impact on LNG markets and outlined the long-term prospects for the fuel.

The GECF has 12 members: Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.

The seven observer-status countries are Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Norway, Oman and Peru.

The current Secretary-General of the GECF is Yury Sentyurin from Russia.

During the UNECE’s event Moghaddam spoke in relation to one of the key messages which was that despite the current market environment due to COVID-19 and the oil price slump, the LNG industry was better placed than ever because of its massive contribution to decarbonising the world.

“While coal is still considered a critical source for energy security and affordability, particularly in Asia, coal development plans are being revised downward compared to previous years amidst low electricity demand and rising availability of alternative sources,” said Moghaddam .

“There is, therefore, a real opportunity for coal-to-gas switching,” he added.

“Further, gas and LNG can benefit from the climate policies being pushed out now due to their competitiveness and alignment with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” stated Moghaddam.

The GECF is a regular contributor to the discussions of the UNECE Group of Experts on Gas and took part in the UN body's summit in Geneva in 2019.

The GECF’s “Global Gas Outlook 2050” published earlier in 2020 said that gas production in GECF countries, including Qatar, would grow by almost 50 percent through 2050 to more than 2.5 trillion cubic metres, underlining the continued importance of the group.

The sixth GECF summit of heads of states is scheduled to take place in Doha in 2021.

The OPEC of natural gas, the GECF, held a meeting in Doha in Qatar to launch its annual outlook as the Qataris pledged to advance with their liquefied natural expansion plans and said the global buildout of renewable energy ventures would complement LNG as an alternative to coal.

The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), the natural gas industry’s version of OPEC, has completed its summit in the city of Santa Cruz in Bolivia, with Qatar pledging to regain its position as the leading liquefied natural gas producer five years after Australia overtakes it in 2019.