The United States Government forecasts that liquefied natural gas exports would hit an all-time high through the normally quieter Northern Hemisphere summer from May to August and even amid higher benchmark Henry Hub prices.
Energy consumption will increase in the United States over the next 30 years across a variety of economic scenarios as population and economic growth outpace energy efficiency gains, though natural gas and LNG will retain their starring roles.
The US Government estimates that liquefied natural gas exports levels will remain high from December through to March 2022, supported by increased natural gas demand in the Northern Hemisphere winter in Europe and North Asia.
The US front-month New York Mercantile Exchange natural gas price soared to seasonal record heights before expiration as the nation saw the cancellation of one of the key infrastructure projects, the PennEast Pipeline, linked to future demand in the US Northeast for natural gas from the Marcellus Shale Basin.
US LNG exports plunged to their lowest weekly level since December 2016 as only four cargoes departed from the five main US export plant compared with seven shipments a week ago as current US and global natural gas and LNG values blunted the sector’s recovery.
US natural gas prices reached their lowest level in the past year since 2016 as liquefied natural gas exports surged and pipeline supplies to Mexico also increased.