Paolo von Schirach –
WASHINGTON – Energyindepth, www.energyindepth.org recently stated that the world is witnessing a major energy supply revolution. The United States, until a few years ago destined to become a major natural gas importer, is now slated to become the world’s number one exporter of Liquefied Natural Gas, LNG.
New geopolitics of energy
The website made this point also quoting the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, a Paris-based group of major energy consumers: “The growth of U.S. natural gas production – led by increased shale production – has been transformative, not only domestically but globally. And it’s only the beginning. As IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol recently said:
“The second wave of the U.S. shale revolution is coming. It will see the United States account for 70 percent of the rise in global oil production and some 75 percent of the expansion in LNG trade over the next five years. This will shake up international oil and gas trade flows, with profound implications for the geopolitics of energy.”
US as LNG exports leader
While the US is now the world leading oil producer, let us focus here on the vastly increased American LNG export capacity. New US LNG terminals have been completed, and additional ones will come on line very soon. As a result the US, already the world number three LNG exporter, (behind Qatar and Australia), in a few years will become number one.
While this is good for business, it is obvious that this new role of America as key energy supplier will have important geopolitical implications, as this surge in LNG exports is not just a temporary phenomenon. Indeed, the undeniable fact is that the world will rely on large amounts of natural gas for decades to come.
The world will continue to rely on gas
Realistically, it is clear that notwithstanding pledges to cut down the use of fossil fuels in order to combat global warming there is no way to achieve a rapid shift to non-carbon energy sources within the foreseeable future. It is just technically impossible. And it is also clear that affordable natural gas, used largely as electric power generation feed stock, is and will be the fuel of choice for many energy poor countries. Besides, it pollutes a lot less than coal. Therefore, from an environmental protection perspective, it is the least damaging among the fossil fuels.
Taking all this into account, the world will continue to rely on natural gas as feed stock for electric power generation, heating, and much more for decades.
Vast geopolitical implications
Of course, this sustained demand for gas is about new or expanding markets for the US energy business. However, it is obvious that there are and there will also be significant geopolitical implications. Indeed, US growing LNG exports will be a factor in reshaping commercial and political relations with many Asian countries and Europe.
New markets in Asia
For example, India desperately needs additional energy supplies for its energy starved population, now exceeding 1.3 billion. When it comes to electric power generation, India still largely relies on dirty coal, with horrible environmental repercussions in terms of staggering air pollution levels in most large urban areas. Switching over to natural gas is a necessity for India. The availability of increasing amounts of US LNG will make this transition away from coal a bit easier; while a new, robust energy trade will strengthen overall ties. Likewise, Japan and South Korea, traditional US allies and always net energy importers, also need gas. The opportunity to buy additional quantities of US LNG will strengthen the bonds with these two key Asian countries.
Of course, energy poor China could also be a major buyer of US LNG. But the political relationship between the US and China is bad, and not destined to improve any time soon. Therefore do not expect China to be a major buyer of US LNG. (China is focusing now on a significant increase of imported Russian gas, via new pipelines).
More LNG to Europe will counter Russian dominance
Another important market for US LNG will be Europe. All projections indicate that natural gas consumption in Europe will stay flat. However, European sources of natural gas (originating from Norway and The Netherlands), are dwindling, while much of Europe relies heavily on imported Russian natural gas supplied via a variety of pipelines, old (via Ukraine) and new (via the Baltic Sea). Some European countries see no problem in this significant energy dependence on Russia, while others feel uneasy, given the history of Russian meddling in Eastern Europe and beyond.
Given these geopolitical concerns, some European countries, most notably Poland and the Baltic States, look very favorably at the opportunity to diversify their natural gas imports by increasing US LNG purchases. For the time being, US LNG exports to Europe are modest, and so they do not shift the overall pattern of large purchases from Russia.
New flexibility
However, the very fact that several European buyers of Russian gas now have a new purchasing option –US LNG– that simply did not exist until a few years ago, gave flexibility and better bargaining power to the Europeans. As a result, Russia in many instances was forced to lower its prices, as a way to fend off US LNG competition. Going forward, as US LNG export capacity increases and the price differential between LNG and Russian piped gas shrinks, expect additional European purchases of US LNG.
Increased US influence around the world
All in all, the fact that the United States already is today –and will be even more so in the years to come– the leading, dependable exporter of liquefied natural gas, a vital, relatively clean, energy source, will increase American influence around the world, and will help strengthen political ties with key countries in Asia and in Europe.
Yankee Ingenuity
Not so bad overall, considering that this US natural gas (and oil) revolution originated out of the dogged persistence of a small band of American “frackers” who believed that oil and gas could be profitably extracted from shale formations, when all the energy experts and the big energy companies stated that it was absolutely impossible.
Three Cheers for Yankee Ingenuity!