Liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade in the global energy market rose by 94.3% over the last decade to 485.1 billion cubic meters, according to BP's Statistical Review of World Energy 2020 report.
LNG trade, an alternative to pipeline trade in natural gas, has seen a huge and rapid increase over the last 10 years.
Accordingly, in 2009, 249.7 billion cubic meters of natural gas trade took place in the form of LNG, while in 2010 the amount of trade increased to 302.4 billion cubic meters, and rose again in 2011 to 328.3 billion cubic meters.
The rapidly constructed LNG terminals and cheaper prices increased the share of natural gas trade in liquefied form.
In 2013, 326.8 billion cubic meters of LNG were traded. In 2014, this figure was recorded as 333.6 billion cubic meters, 2015 saw 337.1 billion cubic meters traded, 358.3 billion cubic meters were traded in 2016 and 393.3 billion cubic meters in 2017. In 2018, 430.6 billion cubic meters of LNG were sold.
Last year, LNG trade was calculated as 485.1 billion cubic meters while natural gas trade through pipelines amounted to around 801.5 billion cubic meters. The share of pipeline gas in global natural gas was 62%, while the share of LNG was 38% in 2019.
Of LNG exports worldwide totaling 485.1 billion cubic meters, Qatar was the biggest exporter with 107.1 billion cubic meters while Japan imported the greatest volume of LNG at 105.5 billion cubic meters.
Russia was the country that sold the most natural gas through pipelines with 217.2 billion cubic meters. Norway followed with 109.1 billion cubic meters and the US with 75.4 billion cubic meters.
Germany was the country that bought the most piped gas at 109.6 billion cubic meters. The US ranked second with 73.3 billion cubic meters followed by Italy with 54.1 billion cubic meters.
By Murat Temizer
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr