Energy in Australia

LNG exports
Australian gas is exported as LNG — the gas is cooled to -161°C, at which
point it becomes a liquid. Australia began exporting LNG in 1989 from
the North West Shelf, in the Carnarvon Basin off the north west coast
of Western Australia. LNG exports from Darwin commenced in 2006
(sourcing gas from the Joint Petroleum Development Area), the Pluto
LNG project in the Carnarvon Basin commenced exports in 2012 and the
QCLNG and GLNG projects started exporting in 2015 from Queensland.
As of late-2015, Australia’s annual LNG export capacity is 41.2 million
tonnes. Australia’s LNG exports increased 8 per cent in 2014–15 to 25
million tonnes. LNG export volumes have on average increased 7 per cent
a year over the past five years, supported by new export capacity and
growth in demand for Australian LNG. LNG exports were valued at nearly
$17 billion in 2014–15.
Australia remained the world’s third largest LNG exporter in 2014, behind
Qatar and Malaysia, and accounted for 10 per cent of world LNG trade.
Around 80 per cent of Australia’s LNG exports in 2014 were to Japan,
and Australia accounted for one-fifth of Japan’s LNG imports. China was
Australia’s second largest LNG export destination and accounted for 16
per cent of Australia’s total LNG exports.
Figure 7.7: Australia’s LNG exports, volume and value
25
20
20
16
Mt
15
10
5
12
8
4
2015‒16 A$b
0
2005–06 2008–09 2011–12 2014–15
Volume (left axis) Value (right axis)
Source: Department of Industry, Innovation and Science (2015) Resources and Energy Quarterly September
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