The record wave of LNG supply growth expected from the United States and Qatar may not translate smoothly into seaborne flows if vessel availability tightens. Reuters, citing Wood Mackenzie in a report carried by gCaptain, said the expansion could be slowed because most of the ships needed to transport LNG must come from Asian shipyards.
For tanker and gas shipping markets, the issue is not production alone but whether enough LNG carriers can be delivered on time to move cargoes to importers. TankerMap data context: when fleet growth lags export capacity, loading programs, ballast availability and route competition can become more important across major LNG corridors linking the US Gulf, Qatar and demand centers in Europe and Asia.