For the first time, the US became the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, with shipments surpassing major suppliers Australia and Qatar in 2023.
According to data compiled by the agency, the US exported 91.2 million tons of liquefied natural gas in 2023, setting a domestic export record. The increase in exports was due to the restart of the Texas Freeport LNG plant last year, and the company shut down for several months after a fire and explosion in June 2022.
As the largest supplier of liquefied natural gas in 2022, Qatar's exports contracted for at least the first time since 2016, and the 1.9% drop brought it to third place in the global ranking. Australia ranked second, with little change in export volume compared to 2022.
Two new liquefied natural gas projects will be put into operation in the US this year: Venture Global LNG Inc.'s Plaquemines plant in Louisiana, and the Golden Pass plant in Texas, which is a joint venture between ExxonMobil and Qatar Energy. If operated at full capacity, these two projects would increase production from the US by an additional 38 million tons each year.