LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas): How Gas Crosses Oceans
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is natural gas cooled to -162°C (-260°F), shrinking its volume 600x for transport by specialized tanker ships. LNG enables natural gas trade between continents that aren't connected by pipelines. Roughly 20% of global LNG trade transits the Strait of Hormuz. LNG is critical for energy security in countries like Bangladesh, Japan, South Korea, and most of Europe, which depend on imported gas. Supply disruptions (as in the 2026 Hormuz crisis) directly affect fertiliser production, electricity generation, and heating.
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is natural gas (primarily methane) that has been cooled to approximately -162°C (-260°F), converting it from gas to liquid and reducing its volume by a factor of roughly 600. This volume reduction makes it economically viable to transport natural gas across oceans by specialized tanker ships — something that is impossible with gas in its normal state. ## Why LNG Matters Natural gas can travel overland through pipelines, but intercontinental trade requires liquefaction. Countries without pipeline connections to gas-producing regions (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Bangladesh, and increasingly Europe post-2022) depend on LNG imports for electricity generation, industrial processes, heating, and fertiliser production (natural gas is the primary feedstock for urea fertiliser via the Haber-Bosch process). ## The Supply Chain **Liquefaction:** Gas is purified, cooled to -162°C at an export terminal, and loaded onto LNG carriers (specialized double-hulled ships with insulated cargo tanks). **Transport:** LNG carriers deliver cargo across ocean routes. Major exporters: Qatar, Australia, the United States, Russia. Major importers: Japan, South Korea, China, India, Europe. **Regasification:** At the destination, LNG is warmed back to gas form at an import terminal and fed into the local pipeline network. ## Strategic Vulnerability Roughly 20% of global LNG trade transits the Strait of Hormuz. Qatar — one of the world's largest LNG exporters — ships essentially all its LNG through this chokepoint. Disruptions to Hormuz shipping (as during the 2026 crisis) immediately affect LNG supply to importing nations. Bangladesh Fertiliser Crisis 2026: Gas Shortages Threaten Food Security for 170 Million ## Scale Global LNG trade reached approximately 400 million tonnes per annum by 2025. The market has grown roughly 4x since 2000, driven by the shale gas revolution in the US (which became a major exporter), Europe's shift away from Russian pipeline gas after 2022, and growing Asian demand. The Strait of Hormuz: The World's Most Critical Oil Chokepoint US Oil Refinery Mismatch: Why America Pays $4.59/Gallon Despite Being the #1 Producer