The continued rise of natural gas and LNG: Insights from ADIPEC
J. WATKINS, Gulf Energy Information, Paris, France
At ADIPEC in Abu Dhabi, moderator John Defterios (SEforALL board member) led a panel with Fatema Al Nuaimi (CEO, ADNOC Gas), Matthew Schatzman (Chairman & CEO, NextDecade), Chris Ashton (CEO & MD, Worley) and Arnaud Pieton (Executive Director & CEO, Technip Energies). Their consensus: as customers prioritize reliability and affordability alongside lower emissions, natural gas—and especially LNG—will continue to expand its role.
Al Nuaimi positioned gas as the fuel that best balances the energy “trilemma.” ADNOC Gas is advancing an LNG project designed to be among the sector’s lowest-emissions facilities by electrifying liquefaction and sourcing grid power from Barakah nuclear and Masdar solar. Market appetite is strong, she said, citing eight long-term SPAs signed in about 18 months, driven by buyers’ need for dependable supply.
Schatzman argued that demand growth is broad-based and shifting from policy-driven “transition” rhetoric to security and cost realities. Industrial users, power generators and fast-growing AI/data-center loads require firm, around-the-clock power—a niche well served by gas. He noted that growth spans Southeast Asia, Europe, the United States and the Middle East, with many markets lacking secure pipeline gas and therefore turning to flexible LNG. NextDecade’s Brownsville project represents >$30 billion across five trains and is ~85% contracted on long-term deals, signaling “sticky” demand. He framed today’s buildout as the third modern LNG wave.
From the EPC vantage point, Ashton said Worley is seeing more LNG interest than ever across liquefaction and regas. While some components (e.g., large turbines) have longer lead times, he does not see supply-chain issues sufficient to derail FIDs; alternatives exist and U.S. Gulf Coast projects continue to advance.
Pieton called Technip Energies “energy pragmatist,” pairing new capacity with electrified drives, efficiency upgrades and carbon capture. He advocated flexible import hubs that can receive LNG today and molecules such as ammonia tomorrow, integrated with nearby renewables to future-proof assets. Rebuilding project skills is also essential; construction sites are doubling as training grounds.
The panel’s lessons from recent shocks—COVID-era disruptions and Europe’s pivot from Russian pipeline gas—were clear: diversify supply and leverage LNG’s destination flexibility. Their closing message favored an “and, not or” approach: use gas (and nuclear) for firm capacity, add renewables where resources and grids permit, and let affordability govern adoption.
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