Abundant World Natural Gas Reserves and LNG Potential

• World natural gas reserves are abundant, estimated at about 5,500 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), or 60 times the volume of natural gas used in 2003. Much of this gas is considered “stranded” because it is located in regions distant from consuming markets.

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• Russia, Iran, and Qatar combined hold natural gas reserves representing more than 50 percent of the world total.
• The 12 countries that currently export LNG have approximately 28 percent of world natural gas reserves.
• Three countries with 33 percent of the world’s reserves are currently building their first liquefaction facilities.
• At least seven additional countries, with 19 percent of the world’s reserves, are potential LNG exporters.
• According to an industry LNG consultant,² the economic crossover — the point at which transporting LNG via tanker is cheaper than transporting natural gas via pipelines — occurs at a distance of around 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) for offshore pipelines and around 3,800 kilometers (2,375 miles) for onshore pipelines.