據鉆井地帶網站12月28日報道，與2021年下半年相比，2022年上半年美國的LNG出口量增加了12%，平均每天出口112億立方英尺。

美國LNG出口持續增長有三個原因——LNG出口能力增加，國際市場天然氣和LNG價格上漲，以及全球需求增加，特別是在歐洲。

根據美國能源信息署（EIA）的估計，自2021年11月以來，美國LNG出口增長19億立方英尺/日（峰值21億立方英尺/日）。

增加的產能包括Sabine Pass LNG的第六條生產線，Calcasieu Pass LNG的18條中型新液化生產線，以及Sabine Pass和Corpus Christi LNG設施的LNG產能增加。截至2022年7月，估計美國LNG液化能力平均為114億立方英尺/天，短期內的峰值能力為139億立方英尺/天。

國際天然氣和液化天然氣價格在2021年最后一個季度和2022年上半年創下新高。自2021年10月以來，荷蘭TTF中心的價格一直屢創新高。2022年上半年，TTF的平均價格為30.94美元/百萬英熱單位。亞洲的液化天然氣現貨價格也一直很高，同期均值29.50美元/百萬英熱單位。

自去年年底以來，歐洲各國越來越多地進口更多的液化天然氣，以彌補管道進口的減少，并填補史上最低的天然氣儲存。2022年上半年，歐盟和英國的液化天然氣進口量增加了63%，平均為148億立方英尺/天。

今年前五個月，大部分美國LNG出口到歐盟和英國，占美國LNG出口總量的64%，即73億立方英尺/天。

與2021年一樣，今年上半年，美國向歐盟和英國輸送的液化天然氣最多，在歐洲14.8億立方英尺/日的液化天然氣進口總量中，美國提供了47%，其次是卡塔爾，占15%，四個非洲國家合計占17%。

6月份，美國出口的LNG比2022年前5個月的平均出口量11.4億立方英尺/天少了11%，主要原因是弗里波特LNG出口設施終端的意外停運。

2022年上半年，美國七個液化天然氣出口設施的峰值產能利用率平均為87%，主要是在弗里波特液化天然氣終端停運之前，這與2021年期間的平均利用率一樣。

Title Of Largest LNG Exporter In First Half Of 2022 Goes To The US

Compared with the second half of 2021, U.S. LNG exports increased by 12% in the first half of 2022, averaging 11.2 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d).

U.S. LNG exports continued to grow for three reasons – increased LNG export capacity, increased international natural gas and LNG prices, and increased global demand, particularly in Europe.

According to estimates made by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the installed U.S. LNG export capacity has expanded by 1.9 Bcf/d nominal (2.1 Bcf/d peak) since November 2021.

The capacity additions included a sixth train at the Sabine Pass LNG, 18 new mid-scale liquefaction trains at the Calcasieu Pass LNG, and increased LNG production capacity at Sabine Pass and Corpus Christi LNG facilities. As of July 2022, we estimate that U.S. LNG liquefaction capacity averaged 11.4 Bcf/d, with a shorter-term peak capacity of 13.9 Bcf/d.

International natural gas and LNG prices hit record highs in the last quarter of 2021 and first half of 2022. Prices at the Title Transfer Facility (TTF) in the Netherlands have been trading at record highs since October 2021. TTF averaged $30.94 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) during the first half of 2022. LNG spot prices in Asia have also been high, averaging $29.50/MMBtu during the same period.

Since the end of last year, countries in Europe have increasingly imported more LNG to compensate for lower pipeline imports and to fill historically low natural gas storage inventories. LNG imports in the EU and UK increased by 63% during the first half of 2022 to average 14.8 Bcf/d.

Most U.S. LNG exports went to the EU and the UK during the first five months of this year, accounting for 64%, or 7.3 Bcf/d, of the total U.S. LNG exports.

Like 2021, the United States sent the most LNG to the EU and UK during the first half of the year, providing 47% of the 14.8 Bcf/d of Europe's total LNG imports, followed by Qatar at 15%,  and four African countries combined at 17%.

In June, the United States exported 11% less LNG than the 11.4 Bcf/d average exports during the first five months of 2022, mainly because of an unplanned outage at the Freeport LNG export facility. Freeport LNG is expected to resume partial liquefaction operations in early October 2022.

Utilization of the peak capacity at the seven U.S. LNG export facilities averaged 87% during the first half of 2022, mainly before the Freeport LNG outage, which is like the utilization on average during 2021.