Bloomberg: Qatar LNG Exports Shrink From Record as Australia, U.S. Expand

Qatar, the world’s biggest producer of liquefied natural gas, cut exports of the fuel for the first time since at least 2006 as Australia and the U.S. prepare to erode the Middle Eastern nation’s dominant position.

Qatari volumes dropped 2.1 percent from a year earlier in 2014 after at least eight years of gains, the International Group of Liquefied Natural Gas Importers said in its annual report to be published Wednesday. The nation’s share of global LNG imports shrank to 31.9 percent from a peak of 32.9 percent in 2013, according to the data from the Paris-based lobby group known as GIIGNL.

“The industry is waiting for the wave of new exports from the U.S. and from Australia, who will likely top the producers’ list by 2020,” Domenico Dispenza, GIIGNL president, said in the report. “The dominant market share and role of Middle East producers will diminish.” MORE