Investment in Energy Infrastructure is Key to Expanding U.S. LNG Capabilities
Texans for Natural Gas recently published a study highlighting the United States’ growing liquefied natural gas production and its benefits. Made possible by the “shale revolution” since 2008, an abundance of natural gas and surging production has turned the U.S. into one of the world’s largest exporters of the fuel just over the past five years (via cargo shipments of LNG).
Centered in Texas, the Gulf of Mexico is currently positioned to help meet the rising global demand for gas. It is absolutely imperative that the U.S. becomes extremely proficient in producing and exporting LNG for both the geopolitical and economic benefit.
Over the past decade, drilling methods and technologies have evolved to be both more effective and “green.” Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies are state-of-the-art methods that can keep the U.S. as a frontrunner in LNG production. As the study reports, U.S. gas output has thereby jumped 75% to nearly 100 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d).
LNG comes with many benefits, one of them being its low-level carbon emission rates:
“When combusted, natural gas emits 50% less CO2 than coal, making the evolution from coal to gas an essential component of the global fight against climate change.”
Overall, the increased domestic production of LNG in the U.S. will help lower the tight grip that Russia and the OPEC nations have had on the world’s global gas market. Creating a regulatory environment that welcomes investment in energy infrastructure – from pipelines to export terminals – is key to ushering in continued growth in the U.S. LNG and broader energy industry.