據世界石油1月4日消息稱，隨著向能源匱乏的歐洲輸送的液化天然氣數量激增，美國上個月有史以來首次成為全球最大的液化天然氣出口國。

根據彭博匯編的船舶追蹤數據，在 Sabine Pass 和自由港設施的出口激增后，美國設施的產量在 12 月略高于卡塔爾。切尼爾能源上個月表示，其位于路易斯安那州的 Sabine Pass 工廠的新生產裝置生產了第一批貨物。

頁巖氣革命，加上數十億美元的液化設施投資，使美國在不到10年的時間里從一個液化天然氣凈進口國變成了最大出口國。自2010年以來，天然氣產量激增了約70%，一旦Venture Global LNG的Calcasieu Pass終端上線，預計到2022年底，該國將成為世界上出口能力最強的國家。

但美國作為最大液化天然氣出口國的地位可能是曇花一現。出口僅略高于卡塔爾和澳大利亞，任何生產問題都可能影響排名。展望未來，卡塔爾正在計劃一個龐大的出口項目，將于本世紀20年代末投入使用，這可能會鞏固這個中東國家作為頭號燃料供應國的地位。

埃森哲全球能源業務高級董事總經理Muqsit Ashraf表示:“卡塔爾和美國將在未來十年爭奪世界上最大的液化天然氣生產國。”

與此同時，美國液化天然氣出口的激增將有助于緩解全球供應緊張。歐洲正面臨冬季能源危機，公用事業公司正努力應對天然氣庫存季節性偏低的問題。去年12月，海外買家購買了美國13%的天然氣產量，比五年前增長了七倍，當時將燃料運出美國所需的大部分基礎設施還不存在。

朱佳妮 摘譯自 世界石油

原文如下：

U.S. claims title of world’s largest LNG exporter

The U.S. became the world’s No. 1 exporter of liquefied natural gas for the first time ever last month, as deliveries surged to energy-starved Europe.

Output from American facilities edged above Qatar in December after a jump in exports from the Sabine Pass and Freeport facilities, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. Cheniere Energy Inc. said last month that a new production unit at its Sabine Pass plant in Louisiana produced its first cargo.

A shale gas revolution, coupled with billions of dollars of investments in liquefaction facilities, transformed the U.S. from a net LNG importer to a top exporter in less than a decade. Gas production has surged by roughly 70% from 2010 and the nation is expected to have the world’s largest export capacity by the end of 2022 once Venture Global LNG’s Calcasieu Pass terminal comes online.

But the U.S.’s position as top LNG shipper may be short-lived. Exports were just a hair above those from Qatar and Australia, and any production issues could affect the rankings. Looking further out, Qatar is planning a gargantuan export project that will come online in the late 2020s, which could cement the middle eastern nation as the top supplier of the fuel.

“Qatar and the U.S. will be vying for being the largest LNG producers in the world over the next decade,” said Muqsit Ashraf, senior managing director of Accenture’s global energy practice.

In the meantime, the jump in U.S. LNG exports will help ease a global supply crunch. Europe is facing a winter energy crisis as utilities grapple with seasonally low natural gas inventories. Overseas buyers purchased 13% of U.S. gas production in December, a seven-fold increase from five years earlier when most of the infrastructure required to ship the fuel out of the country didn’t yet exist.