Doha, February 03 (QNA) - The gas market in North America is projected to grow by over 30% during the next decade, thereby stimulating massive investments across various stages of the value chain in this sector, LNG officials have predicted.

Addressing a panel discussion on the Growth of the Gas Market in North America, held within the 21st International Conference and Exhibition on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG2026) in Doha, the officials emphasized that the American market has the flexibility and depth that enable it to surmount these challenges in the long run.

They noted that the challenges facing the gas industry globally were no longer linked to a shortage of capital and resources, but rather were related to transportation and storage infrastructure, as well as linking supplies with facilities.

Executive Director of the US Center for Liquefied Natural Gas (CLNG) Charlie Riedl, echoed that the challenges facing the LNG industry are no longer linked to a shortage of capital and resources, but rather revolve around transportation and storage infrastructure. He clarified that the strength of the US market lies in its capability to mobilize capital and resolve these challenges in the long run.

The early investment by the US company Cheniere Energy in pipeline capacity gave it a core competitive advantage, enabling the company to deliver strong operational performance and position itself for substantial future production capacity growth, Riedl underlined.

For his part, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Cheniere Energy Inc. Anatol Feygin said that the LNG supply issue, in essence, was an infrastructure issue, particularly when it comes to pipelines.

He noted that, while the first wave of liquefaction projects tackled these challenges individually, the sector today is increasingly moving toward collaboration among companies to develop more efficient and sustainable solutions that benefit all market participants.

Vice President of Global LNG Marketing at ExxonMobil Andrew Barry, talked about the pivotal role technology has played in expanding the LNG industry in the US, whether in terms of increasing production or improving environmental and economic indicators.

The projected growth in demand, including AI-associated demand, can be absorbed by dint of capital and infrastructure depth, Barry noted, suggesting that the true challenge lies in how to manage growth, not the ability to meet it.

President of LNG at Sempra Infrastructure Martin Hupka raised discussed the impact of strong demand growth on long-term price dynamics, and the ability of supply to keep pace with this growth amid the need for concurrent expansion of pipeline and export infrastructure, while focusing on whether it is possible to achieve both growth and price stability simultaneously.

Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Golden Pass LNG Jeff Hammad noted that the Golden Pass LNG project in the US, owned by QatarEnergy and Exxon Mobil, is built on an integrated infrastructure platform that includes an LNG export terminal and a 69-mile interstate pipeline, connected to an extensive interstate pipeline network, which enhances the project’s operational readiness from the outset of operations.

Regarding concerns about balancing US domestic demand and LNG exports, the panelists stressed that the issue is not a zero-sum equation, but rather an opportunity to generate mutual benefits.

They said that rising demand, whether domestic or international, helps justify large-scale investments in pipeline capacity, as well as transportation and storage services, delivering benefits across the entire market.

The panelists ruled out artificial intelligence as a direct competitor to gas supply, noting that its impact is fundamentally different, and emphasizing that technology has long been-and continues to be-the primary driver of expansion in the gas industry, both in terms of operational efficiency, improved environmental performance, and supporting economic growth. (QNA)