Renewables, Reality and Evaluating the Global Energy Transition
Last year, RBAC’s James Brooks wrote the article, “Has the Energy Transition Been Cancelled?’[1] about the progress being made towards a global energy transition and
New Trader on The Block
Boy bands may be making a comeback, even if it is only for laundry detergent commercials. But in the natural gas trading world, producers’ actions,
Saudi Arabia Bets Big on Gas and LNG
Saudi Arabia is primarily known for its vast oil reserves which has contributed to the rapid economic development in the country. Saudi Aramco (also Aramco)
Türkiye’s Gas Goldmine in the Black Sea
With production ramping up at the Sakarya gas field in the Black Sea, Türkiye (Turkey) is looking to beef up its natural gas industry as
Qatar’s Plans for Vast LNG Expansion
Qatar’s Vast Reserves It is no secret that Qatar is one of the most important countries in the world when it comes to oil and
Europe’s RNG Objectives: Aspirations Run into Hard Realities
The European Green Deal, presented in 2019, aims to handle the climate crisis by reducing net greenhouse gas emissions, with the ambitious goal of achieving
Japan’s Future Energy
Japan’s Future Energy Key Takeaways from the Japan Energy Summit Discussing the future of energy, Japan Energy Summit & Exhibition was held in Tokyo and
A Tale of Two LNG Importers: Japan and Taiwan
A Contrast in Energy: The Land of the Rising Sun and Ilha Formosa Japan and Taiwan show some similarity in their energy mix and policies,
Charting New Horizons in LNG Demand and Energy Transitions
Figure 1 – Regional Natural Gas Consumption (BCM). Source: G2M2® Market Simulator for Global Gas and LNG™ The Demand for Adaptation The global gas and
Jazz in the Utah Gas Markets
Move over basketball, there is something else to be jazzed about in Utah, the gas markets. Like the champion Denver Nuggets, Colorado has long overshadowed
LNG’s Role in a Realistic Energy Transition
Figure 1 – LNG Across the Globe. Source: Adobe Stock and Nasa Earth Observatory LNG Market Trends and Growth We are observing remarkable expansion and
Can Vietnam Make the Coal-to-Gas Switch?
Vietnam’s Power Crisis Last year brought particularly persistent blackouts to Vietnam, especially in the North, where the streets were darkened as the country faced a
Spain’s Role as a Natural Gas Importer and Re-Exporter
How Spain Uses Natural Gas Europe is one of the most important markets in terms of natural gas and is home to some of the
China’s LNG Surge: Surpasses Japan as Top LNG Importer
China’s lockdown finally eased at the end of 2022 enabling economic activity to return and become more frequent in 2023. China’s natural gas consumption grew
Natural Gas Markets are Getting the “Shoulder” Early this Year
Much press has been given recently to the fall in natural gas prices from January 2024 to February 2024 and conjectures abound as to what
Italy: A Major Gateway Between Europe and Africa
Italy is one of the largest consumers of natural gas in Europe and is also home to one of the ‘supermajor’ oil and gas companies
Ever Increasing U.S. Natural Gas Exports – for Now
The Biden Administration dropped a bombshell last week, announcing a pause to some natural gas export facility approvals and a review of how such projects
What Would Happen if a Major Waterway were Closed to LNG tankers?
Introduction Recently we have seen two instances where LNG tanker traffic was affected due to issues in the Panama Canal and the Red Sea. In
Navigating Market Sensitivities: A Deep Dive into Winter Forecast Impacts on LNG Trade
Navigating Seasonal Uncertainties In the volatile world of LNG trade, understanding the impact of winter on market dynamics is crucial. This commentary introduces a novel
Egypt’s Gas and LNG: Global Challenges and Global Ambitions
Egypt has a long and storied history across thousands of years. It has seen the world develop from a hunter-gatherer society to the modern globally
Global Waves: Navigating the Ripple Effects of China’s Economic Tide on LNG Markets
Authored by Dr. Ning Lin and Jiaxin Yang. The analysis of China’s potential economic slowdown and its cascading effects on the global LNG market reveals
Potential Impacts of a Hurricane on Gulf LNG Exports
The advent of the LNG Export Era has had a dramatic impact on the North American Natural Gas Market. Nearly 13% of all natural gas
Is Natural Gas Argentina’s Silver Lining?
Argentina has the second largest shale gas reserves in the world; with a new president having to face the dark clouds of rampant inflation and
Is Mexico Over Reliant on U.S. Natural Gas?
Mexico: A Gas Nation Mexico’s electricity consumption per capita has grown steadily 4.9% per year since 1985, and it is the top consumer of similar
The Role of Natural Gas in South Korea’s Miracle Rise
South Korea is now known as a highly developed economy with a hand in a variety of industries such as electronics, automobiles, telecommunications, chemicals, steel,
A Natural Gas Crisis in Resource-Rich Colombia
Uncertainty Within Colombia Internal debate over how Colombia should approach developing its domestic resources has created uncertainty over the future of not only the industry,
The United States is Leading the LNG Charge
Authored by Scott McKenna and Ed O’Toole. It’s said that history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes. Such is the case with the US
Has the Energy Transition Been Cancelled?
The Rush Toward Renewables A bold headline to be sure, but let me explain. the past few decades there has been a huge undertaking to
Africa: The Natural Gas Sleeping Giant
Africa’s Potential Africa is a land full of promise, blessed with abundant resources and huge untapped potential in human capital. And when it comes to
Fueling Progress: Uncovering the Southeast Asian LNG Market and Japan’s Strategic Inroads
Southeast Asia’s Gas Consumption After East Asia, Southeast Asia is seen as another engine of global economic growth due to the gradual shift of industrial
Potential Effects of Australia LNG Supply Disruption Follow Up
We previously covered the potential effects of strikes at key LNG facilities in Australia and how they would affect global prices as well as how
MVP Southgate: The Next Domino to Fall
With the “on again off again” nature of Mountain Valley Pipeline’s Status, there was bound to be collateral damage. In our August 2022 commentary “Can
How can Natural Gas Help Pakistan Emerge Stronger from Past Difficulties?
Pakistan’s Energy History Pakistan first discovered natural gas in the early 1950’s in Balochistan, this discovery later came to be known as the Sui gas
Potential Effects of Australia LNG Supply Disruption
LNG plant workers in Australia have taken a vote on whether they may to strike at several key LNG facilities, and with Australia being one
The New Natural Gas “Swing States”
Long thought of in a political light, the term “swing states” refers to those states comprised of electorates who show no discernable trend toward any
Is Natural Gas the Future for India and Sri Lanka?
India’s Energy Mix India is now the fifth largest economy by GDP in the world, with the largest GDP growth of any industrialized country currently
Can Canada become a leader in LNG Exports?
At the recent LNG2023 conference in Vancouver, Alberta’s Premier, Danielle Smith stated that Alberta has begun talks with British Columbia to greatly expand the reach
Turkmenistan: Struggles with Emissions but Potentially a Bright Future
Turkmenistan’s Struggles with Emissions This coming November, the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28) will be taking place. This conference will be focused
Global Natural Gas Outlook – Is it too soon to be hopeful?
In three short years, Natural Gas and LNG markets have gone through enormous turmoil: a two-year Covid-19-pandemic-induced natural gas demand slump, a labor and supply
Bangladesh’s Worst Power Crisis in a Decade
Due to unpredictable weather and a currency that is rapidly declining in value, Bangladesh is experiencing its worst power crisis since 2013. So far in
Haynesville and Marcellus: A Tale of Two Shales
Over the past two years, the oil and gas industry has seen record profit for producers, geopolitical conflicts, supply chain disruptions, inflationary and ESG pressures
Do Energy Security and Economics “Trump” All?
Back in 2018 at the United Nations General Assembly, then United States President Donald Trump cautioned, “Germany will become totally dependent on Russian energy if
California Energy Prices – When Things Break
Source: Adobe Stock California is certainly a state of extremes. It experienced extreme drought (leading to a low hydro year) and had extensive flooding later
Could Mexican Natural Gas Infrastructure have prevented the disastrous impacts of Winter Storm Uri?
At the recent Mexico Infrastructure Projects Forum in Monterrey, Mexico, both government and private sector attendees came together to voice their concerns over deficiencies of
Natural Gas Prices are Down, But for How Long?
What Goes Up Must Come Down… 2022 was a turbulent time for natural gas prices, not only in Europe, but in North America as well.
LNG Flow Scenarios Under Energy Transition
The natural gas market has been at a critical moment of change in recent years. This study first highlights the trends, uncertainties, and challenges faced
What do the Cowboys and Lower 48 Natural Gas Production have in Common?
Hard Work. Consistent, diligent, hard work (along with a little help from your friends) makes winning look easy. The American Football Cowboys’ running back tandem,
On Climate and Energy, The British Do Have Something to Smile About
Source: Adobe Stock The UK has continued to reduce its carbon emissions both total and per capita since 1971. Continuously. Even with an increasing population
The Next Energy Crisis No One Is Talking About
In my past few articles, I have written about the energy transition, lack of cooperation and mixed messages from regulatory bodies, as well as energy
Dr. Brooks to speak at America’s Natural Gas Conference
Dr. Robert Brooks will speak at America’s Natural Gas conference sponsored by Hart Energy, presenting “Weather and Whether Russia,” the gas outlook and the future
LNG Exporters Grip with Uncertainty Over Chinese LNG Demand
Western players have been watching intently as China does a balancing act—importing more Russian gas via pipeline, reselling surplus LNG at high prices on
Can Mountain Valley Pipeline Reduce Inflation
H.R.5376 or The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 seems to be all anyone can talk about these days. This broad-ranging legislation touches everything from healthcare
Out of Chaos – Finding Opportunity in a Volatile Gas Market
Ongoing chaos seems to have become the new normal: extreme temperatures rolling through the lower 48 United States, trade disputes with Mexico, LNG Plant explosions
Haste Makes Turmoil and Misery
Panorama of the tea. Sri Lanka, Image source: Vadym Lebedych/stock.adobe.com We may hear the words “energy transition” much more often in recent years, yet the
Can we ever learn from history?
Back in 2015, RBAC’s Founder, Dr. Robert Brooks Ph.D. spoke at the World Gas Conference in Paris on the relationship between gas and power markets
Forecasting Monthly Price Spreads at Natural Gas Trading Hubs
Forecasting Monthly Price Spreads at Natural Gas Trading Hubs by Robert Brooks, Ph.D. and Ning Lin Ph.D. Summary/Conclusions: Since 2020, RBAC, Inc., and Refinitiv,
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
We are big believers that in life the only constant is change. The constantly changing dynamics of the energy industry is a great example of this.
Trends in LNG Contracting and Why They Matter
by G2M2 Team and Jane Li, Zion Energy Consulting Market Disruption Recent events in the Russia-Ukraine conflict have sent shock waves through the global gas market.
Can Energy Security be Achieved Under the New FERC Policy?
Amidst a global energy crisis, geopolitical events like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine highlight more than ever the need for energy security. Security from undersupply and
A Political Tune Full of Flat Notes
Market Simulation Illuminates Neglected Northeast Energy Needs Marcellus. A Natural gas deposit (a “shale play”) running through Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland and especially West Virginia,
New England’s Energy Crisis
Economic Fact vs. Political Fiction How can we reduce natural gas prices? What would happen if liquified natural gas (LNG) exports were banned? What should
Japan’s LNG Energy Security Has a Cost: Estimating the Price of Supply Diversity
Cutting CO2 emissions and decarbonization was supposed to be the main topic in global LNG markets last year. Instead, energy security has come again front
For a Successful Energy Transition, “You Need to Learn to Walk Before You Can Run”
It is said the proverb, “You need to learn to walk before you can run,” dates back to the 15th century and it is as
China’s 2021 LNG Imports increase, replaces world’s former top buyer Japan
In RBAC’s article published in April 2021 (https://rbac.com/chinas-lng-imports-outlook-can-the-united-states-capture-more/), RBAC’s global gas team analyzed China’s LNG imports market and predicted that the United States would play
Europe without Russian Natural Gas. What Happens to Global LNG Trade?
With tensions escalating higher between Moscow and Kiev, Europeans have been looking for alternative sources of LNG to not only address the current energy crisis
It’s a New Year, but is it Really “Auld Lang Syne”?
Not quite a month ago, as midnight struck, the banging of pots and pans, shooting of fireworks and however else one might ring in the
What if we turned off nuclear and fossil fuels tomorrow?
Could we turn off coal, nuclear and gas and just go with wind, solar and hydro, tomorrow? What would happen? It reminds me of the
It’s Not Just the Size of Your Carbon Footprint
Concerns about Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, specifically carbon emissions, are not new. They’ve been around for decades with focus really starting in the 1990s, and
When Opportunity Knocks, Answer the Door
For independent natural gas producers, the saying “When opportunity knocks, answer the door.” has never been truer. Despite a high natural gas price environment, there
Weathering a Storm of Uncertainty: Refinitiv-RBAC 2021 Short-Term Global Gas and LNG Market Forecast
Background: When caught in a heavy storm there is a natural reaction to go into a mode of coping to the situation. That coping may
A Look at China’s Natural Gas Imports in the First Half of 2021
In April, RBAC, Inc. published “China’s LNG imports Outlook: Can the United States Capture More of the Market?” outlining the potential for the United States
In Today’s Energy Transition, Best Not Fly Blind
In 1929 Edwin Albert Link, finding that pilot lessons were too expensive, built the very first full flight simulator in his father’s basement. He named
No Pain, No Gain: Can the US E&P Sector Bulk Back Up?
“No pain, no gain” is a saying often heard from gym rats. The motto means if you want to make gains, advance, get stronger, and
China’s LNG imports Outlook: Can the United States Capture More of the Market?
The Asian natural gas market has always been a strong demand market. China has witnessed tremendous growth of 35% over the past few years, from
GOATs and ERCOT
John Collins and Scott McKenna, RBAC, Inc. Tom Brady may have solidified his status as NFL’s “GOAT” – Greatest Of All Time – Quarterback with
India’s Resounding Resilience in LNG Imports
Even though COVID-19 related demand reductions heavily impacted Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) demand across the world, India experienced a rise in LNG and overall demand
Severe Hangover Cure = Time, Prudency, and Plenty of Liquids
It may seem hard to imagine that almost one year ago, Covid-19 was just hitting newswires and was believed to be not much more of
Winter Asia LNG price creates a big bang and what do we learn?
There are two fundamental reasons for such market dynamic for Northeast Asia market: First, Asia has large seasonal swings of demand with high dependency of
Refinitiv-RBAC 2020 Winter Global Gas Balance Forecast
Facing the unprecedented uncertainties in 2020, Refinitiv and RBAC team jointly developed a 24-month forecast, exploring the interconnection between regional markets from both fundamental drivers
“Are We There Yet?” RBAC’s 20Q3 Natural Gas Market Outlook Takes a Road Trip Through Supply/Demand Balances
The Covid-19 pandemic has led to dramatic shifts in lifestyles, business operations and energy utilization. With the implementation of mandated lockdowns, unemployment increased substantially as
Hurricane Proof part 2 – How about LNG Facilities?
Red Sky at Night, Sailor’s DelightRed Sky in Morning, Sailor’s Warning Just a few weeks ago, RBAC published “Has Shale Production made us Hurricane-proof?” which
Has Shale Production made us Hurricane-proof?
In 2005 two major hurricanes, Katrina and Rita, hit the Gulf with devastating consequences to residents and regional energy infrastructure. The resulting shut-ins, temporary and
Methane vs Hydrogen vs CH4-H2 Mixes
It’s useful to get an idea of the relative size of markets for commodities of interest and their products (and byproducts). What’s hot now and
A Curse or a Blessing? RBAC’s 20Q2 Natural Gas Market Outlook Speaks Volumes
May you live in interesting times. Wikipedia suggests this is “an English expression that purports to a translation of a traditional Chinese curse”; seemingly a
In Like a Lamb, Out Like a Lion: RBAC’s 20Q1 Outlook
Occasionally, what appear to be relatively insignificant events metamorphosize into shockingly strong market impacting chaos. The events over the last three months truly reflect the
COVID-19 Impact on Natural Gas in Europe
In the 2009 global recession, European natural gas demand fell about 2% with the Covid-19 global pandemic, 2020 looks to have an even greater impact
Crude Oil Craziness: Will Natural Gas Prices Follow Suit?
“Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes….”, “Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together…. mass hysteria!” Oh, and crude oil goes negative…no this isn’t Ghostbusters, but
COVID-19: The Crash and Recovery in Asia
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Wuhan has been under strict quarantine since January 23. With current signs of improvement of the situation
Where Are We and What is a Handbasket
Co-written by: Scott McKenna, Director, Global Energy Analysis, RBAC, Inc When electronic trading opened on Sunday night, March 8th, all hell broke loose for WTI
China Sneezes, Henry Hub Catches a Cold
Proximity is the key ingredient in many facets of life — whom you marry, friends you make and keep, your first job — are just
Impacts on LNG Imports and Natural Gas Consumption Due to the Coronavirus in China
Dr. Ning Lin, Jiaxin Yang and Birdy Chen, RBAC, Inc. In January 2020 the Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, created a significant amount of uncertainty
It Takes Two to Tango – Supply Growth is Slowing but Demand is Needed to Revive Prices
In RBAC’s 2019 Quarter 4 gas market outlook (19Q4base), using the GPCM® Natural Gas Market Forecasting System™, a key focus in the near-term forecast is
The Future of Natural Gas in China, Gulf and India: Opportunities and Challenges
According to the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, the demand of natural gas in the Gulf countries will have a growth in 75% from now
China’s Strategic Need to Open Doors for Foreign Investment in Upstream EP
Per Xinhua news agency, on Jan. 9, 2020, China’s Ministry of Mineral Resources announced today the opening of exploration and production to private investment. Domestic
A Reality Check in the Wave of LNG Projects
As LNG trade becomes the fastest-growing segment of global gas and fuels much enthusiasm in investing in LNG facilities, it also presents a new concern
How big is the deal – Impact of Trade War on LNG between the US and China
This is the first post in my mini-series of “track what matters” – a knowledge share for natural gas market analysis crowd. In this post,
Who provides the greatest value for US LNG – A deep dive into LNG imports for Asia
I shared with you the Asian gas balance chart last week and promised to continue this story. Here this goes. When we look into LNG
Putin Knew
Last week Bloomberg on MSN glibly reported that the Trump administration had conceded defeat in its effort to stop Russia’s Nordstream 2 pipeline. According to
Are Natural Gas Write-Downs a Temporary or Long-Term Phenomenon?
There is a lot at stake in the current natural gas environment that impact not only the natural gas players but the entire energy industry.
Where will China get its future LNG and why?
Risks and Opportunities for China in the Evolving Global Market for Natural Gas Dr. Robert Brooks, Founder, RBAC, Inc. To achieve the economic and environmental