“EIA expects U.S. net imports to be slightly higher in 2010 as a projected decline in pipeline imports is offset by lower exports and higher imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG). While cold weather across the northern hemisphere has helped absorb some of the new LNG supply that has recently come on-stream, U.S. LNG imports are forecast to increase by nearly 0.8 Bcf/d over last year in the first quarter 2010. For 2010 as a whole, U.S. LNG imports are forecast to increase by about 45 percent (or 0.56 Bcf/d). As global LNG demand and import capacity expand next year, EIA expects U.S. LNG imports to show little year-over-year growth in 2011. ” Quoted from the EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook.

Increasing production of natural gas from shales around the world is changing the dynamics of LNG markets and has put pressure on Gazprom, the European gas giant. More in an article on the Business Insider website.

In addition to the large amount of natural gas being produced from shale several huge LNG projects expected to ship their first gas in 2014 and 2016. More in an article on the Gerson Lehrman Group website.

Imports of LNG to the continental United States rose 29 percent or 100 Bcf in 2009 to a total of 452 Bcf, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy. Five countries supplied U.S. LNG imports during the year: Egypt, Trinidad and Tobago, Nigeria, Norway, and Qatar. More…

In an article on the Journal of American Enterprise Institute website, Max Schultz, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute argues that new methods for producing natural gas (horizontal fracking) and new methods to distribute the gas (LNG) are going to transform the use of energy worldwide.

An article on the RigZone website reports: Although California has an improved natural gas supply situation, the state senate is still considering bills that relate to new LNG facilities that might come to the state.

Just a few years ago Russia invested heavily in the Shtokman gas field in the Barents Sea with the intent of exporting that gas as LNG to the United States. Now the US has several giant shale gas fields and the Russians have all of that Shtokman gas plus opportunities to develop their own shales. More at the United Press International website.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline and the Jordan Cove LNG  terminal. The terminal will receive about 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day and the pipeline will transport the gas from the Coos Bay terminal to Malin, Oregon. The project will supply natural gas to underserved markets in the Pacific Northwest, northern California and northern Nevada.  More on the Jordan Cove Energy Project Website.

An article on the Hydrocarbons-Technology.com website reports that GE Oil and Gas (a subsidiary of General Electric) is now operating an LNG terminal on an artificial island in the Adriatic Sea offshore of Italy.

An article in CourierPostOnline.com reports that Hess LNG is considering construction of an LNG  facility on the Delaware River in Logan Township, New Jersey.  BP abandoned an attempt to site an LNG facility at this location in 2008 when Delaware regulators would not allow them to extend a dock across the state bound

The Wall Street Journal has an article titled: “America’s Natural Gas Revolution: A ’shale gale’ of unconventional and abundant U.S. gas is transforming the energy market.”

Shell announced that it plans to develop its Prelude and Concerto gas discoveries, located in the Browse Basin off the northwest coast of Western Australia, using its innovative Floating Liquefied Natural Gas technology.

“The development of natural gas off Western Australia is entering a new era after Chevron Australia Pty Ltd, the Australian subsidiary of Chevron Corp., announced that it will proceed with the development of the world-class Chevron-operated Gorgon Project. It will be one of the world’s largest natural gas projects with much of the gas exported to Japan and South Korea.” Quoted from the ChevronAustralia website.

ExxonMobil is close to a deal to supply four million tons of Indonesian LNG per year to buyers in Asia (Reuters). And, Chevron is moving forward on their Gorgon LNG project in Australia (Bloomberg).

Low demand for electric power, increased gas production from shales and competition from foreign LNG are putting downward pressure on the wellhead price of natural gas. More at the Oil and Gas Journal.