[thackney]

It makes sense for Qatar to liquefy and ship natural gas, at least for the time being, but not for the US. Eventually, even Qatar will will discontinue exports. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are already short of natural gas for their petrochemical industry.

Saudi is building up their Natural Gas production as well. I think for the next few decades, Qatar will have a large surplus to export Nat Gas to Europe.

They also have begun GTL, Nat Gas to liquids like diesel. Expensive, but for Qatar the domestic gas is cheap feedstock and the export competes with LNG.

Shell built and operates their GTL plant.

http://www.shell.com.qa/en/products-services/pearl.html

There’s plenty of US demand for domestic natural gas used in electric generation. If US natural gas is to be used for export, it’s more economic to convert it to more valuable products such as methanol, ammonia, and urea.

Our supply continues to outrun demand at global prices. The conversions are expensive and takes extremely low feedstock price. While that may exist today, I don't expect us to continue for the life of those plants.

That cuts out the absurdly large liquefaction costs inherent to exporting LNG,

Those cost of conversion exceed the cost of producing LNG.

[texas booster]

So while US regulators have a go slow policy in permitting, who is the beneficiary of these delays?

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran?