Since the publication of LNG Today there has been unprecedented activity in the LNG business. Demand has increased by nearly 20mtpa and three new countries have joined the list of LNG importers. Six new LNG trains have come on stream and, with debottlenecking adding to output elsewhere, global production capacity is up by 25mtpa. 30 new ships have been delivered into service removing some of the constraints on short-term trading that were evident in early 2002.
Yet there is much more to come. Over 55mtpa of new production capacity is under construction and staggering total of over 200mtpa in various stages of planning. China, Mexico and the UK are set to become new importers, while the number of new LNG import terminals proposed for the USA seems ever longer. Ship-yards have 55 ships on their books for delivery between 2004 and 2006 and the enquiries for ships from 2007, including a new fleet of ‘super’ LNG tankers, suggest that they will remain busy for many more years.
