Top 10 Global LNG Shipping Companies

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas cooled to -163°C to become a liquid. Once liquefied, its volume shrinks to just 1/600 of its original gaseous state—making it highly suitable for maritime transport. As a low-carbon, clean next-generation fossil fuel, LNG delivers substantial profits to all stakeholders. Within the broader LNG industry, shipping companies play a critical role in bridging producers and end-users. Below are the top ten LNG shipping companies ranked by market capitalization as of early 2022. 10. ENI (Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi) Headquarters: Rome, Italy ENI has built a global LNG portfolio anchored in long-term supply contracts. Its core businesses include operating LNG fleets, liquefaction hubs, and regasification plants. While ENI’s primary operations are based on mainland Europe, it is actively pursuing international projects. For instance, ENI established a natural gas liquefaction plant at Jangkrik in Indonesia, commencing LNG sales in 2017. Prior to that, ENI and BP jointly secured exploration and sales rights to the South Coral gas field in southern Mozambique in 2016—a field projected to yield approximately 3.3 million tonnes of LNG annually. 9. Equinor Headquarters: Stavanger, Norway Equinor primarily operates the Snøhvit oil and gas field in the Barents Sea. Its most critical LNG shipping route runs from Norway to Spain: LNG is loaded at Hammerfest and delivered via the Bilbao regasification terminal to Mediterranean markets. Beyond European countries, Equinor sells LNG to over twenty nations worldwide. Equinor’s fleet comprises supply vessels, storage vessels, anchor-handling vessels, and approximately 100 tankers—totaling more than 150 vessels. 8. ConocoPhillips Headquarters: Houston, Texas ConocoPhillips is not only an active participant in the LNG industry but also a pioneer in LNG production and transportation technologies. The widely adopted “Optimized Cascade” liquefaction process was first introduced by the company in 1969. The Optimized Cascade process was initially deployed at the Kenai LNG plant in Alaska. Its patented technology covers both natural gas liquefaction and impurity filtration/treatment. Today, this process enjoys broad industry recognition and has been licensed for use in 25 LNG trains globally. 7. Gazprom Group Headquarters: Moscow, Russia LNG has long been a strategic priority for PJSC Gazprom (Gazprom). In 2018, Gazprom’s global LNG sales reached a staggering 3.88 million tonnes, establishing it as a heavyweight player in the global LNG market. Prior to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Gazprom served as mainland Europe’s largest LNG supplier. It also independently surveyed and constructed the renowned Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines. 6. BP (British Petroleum) Headquarters: London, United Kingdom BP is a longstanding major player in the oil and gas sector, possessing robust global supply and transportation capabilities.

Santos Announces Q2 Revenue Decline

Santos’ average LNG selling price declined to $11.47 per MMbtu during April–June, down from $12.68 per MMbtu in the first quarter of 2024 and $11.96 per MMbtu in the corresponding quarter of 2023. Meanwhile, crude oil prices rose to $89.48 per barrel in Q2 2024, up from $89.14 per barrel in Q1 2024 and $82.91 per barrel in the same period of 2023. Adelaide-based Santos produced 22.2 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) in Q2 2024—lower than the 22.8 million BOE produced in the same period last year, but higher than the 21.8 million BOE produced in Q1 2024. The majority of Santos’ output originates from Western Australia; the company also holds production assets in Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste. In Q1 2024, the company generated $380 million in free cash flow from operations. Kevin Gallagher, Managing Director and CEO, stated in a press release: “The nearly $1.1 billion in cash flow generated in the first half enables us to fund shareholder returns, replenish and sustain our existing business, and grow our Santos Energy Solutions business. Our key projects remain on track. Our focus for 2024 is to continue driving a disciplined, low-cost operating model across the business—and to execute the Moomba Stage 1 CCS project, the Barossa gas project, and the Pikka project—while maintaining a strong balance sheet.” Santos reported that, as of the end of Q2, the Barossa project—a subsea natural gas and condensate development supplying new feedstock to the Darwin LNG facility in Australia’s Northern Territory—was 77% complete. The project is designed to export up to 635 million cubic feet of natural gas per day and process approximately 11,000 barrels of condensate per day.

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Apollo explores sale options for floating LNG infrastructure operator Energos, sources say

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