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CERAWEEK-Exxon ahead of schedule on doubling LNG portfolio, exec says

Exxon Mobil is ahead of schedule with its plan to double the size of its melted natural gas (LNG) portfolio to 40 million heaps per annum (mtpa) by 2030 and will focus on selling its own gas rather than trading that of third parties, the business's LNG chief said on Thursday.

Exxon is revamping its LNG trading strategy in the middle of growing production of the fuel and as part of a wider corporate reorganization that started in 2022.

The oil major is relatively small in LNG trading compared to TotalEnergies and Shell PLC. Shell is among the industry leaders and made $2.4 billion from trading LNG in the 4th quarter 2023.

Unlike Shell and Overall, Exxon plans to mainly trade its own gas, said Peter Clarke, Exxon senior vice president for worldwide LNG.

Our portfolio is never going to look like Shell's, it's not going to look like Overall's, we are targeting different aspects of the value chain, he informed in an interview.

Exxon stated in 2020 it prepared to double its LNG portfolio to 40 mtpa by decade-year, from 20 mtpa. It is now producing just short of 30 mtpa, he stated.

We are well on track to achieve the goal we set ourselves back in 2020, Clarke stated. And we are slightly ahead of that.

While Exxon could expand its trading portfolio by purchasing and marketing LNG from third parties, Clarke said, it thinks about margins in that company are small compared to the earnings it can make by itself natural gas.

For Exxon, there is more worth in producing, liquefying and selling gas, he said. Long-term contracts still account for about 80% of the international LNG trade, he said.

The big component in LNG is undoubtedly the commercialization of the LNG itself, Clarke said. We want to have the leading LNG portfolio on the planet in regards to its financial robustness and monetary returns. I would say we're well en route to doing it.

Exxon's volumes will increase through the Golden Pass LNG job, where it has a 30% stake with QatarEnergies as a. partner. That project has actually an approximated export capacity of around. 18 mtpa and will produce its very first LNG in 2025.

The company stated in a December discussion it anticipated to. make a last financial investment choice for its PNG Papua LNG task. in Papua New Guinea this year and begin engineering and design. for a Mozambique job by year end.

Clarke said the tasks would assist Exxon supply customers in. Asia, where the company sees the most prospective development.

The market is broadening. And by 2050, 75% of worldwide energy. need will remain in Asia Pacific, so we are actually focused in that. area..