Leading U.S. LNG Exporters, Global Traders See Natural Gas Demand Surpassing Previous Estimates

Cheniere Energy Inc., the United States’ largest LNG exporter, and Shell plc, the world’s largest global natural gas trader, are preparing for a rising wave of LNG demand through the next two decades.

Speaking at the annual CERAWeek conference by S&P Global in Houston, Shell CEO Wael Sawan cautioned that the source of that growth, as may be the case with emerging economies, may go against common assumptions about the trajectory of the energy transition.

Earlier in the year, Shell published an outlook that called for global LNG demand to rise by 60% of 2024’s levels by 2040. Much of that demand is expected to be driven from the economic rise of East and South Asian countries, but Sawan said it’s clear that demand for power and energy security across the globe is well established.