Qatar LNG Exports’ Surge Boosts GECF Output in May

LNG exports by GECF member countries and observers got a boost in May driven mainly by Qatar, the Gas Exporting Countries Forum said in its latest monthly report.

The surge in Qatar’s LNG exports was supported by reduced maintenance activity compared to a year earlier, and production exceeding the facility’s nameplate capacity, GECF noted.

In May, LNG exports from GECF member and observer countries jumped by 8.9% (1.31mn tonnes) y-o-y, reaching 16.11mn tonnes, which is a record high for the month.

The stronger LNG exports came mainly from Qatar, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago and Angola, which offset weaker LNG exports from Malaysia and Algeria.

Between January and May this year, GECF LNG exports increased marginally by 1% (0.79mn tonnes) y-o-y, reaching 82.40mn tonnes.

In May, global LNG exports continued to grow sharply, rising by 8% (2.61mn tonnes) y-o-y to reach 35.1mn tonnes. This marked the 10th consecutive monthly year-on-year increase in LNG exports.

Higher LNG exports from both GECF and non-GECF countries drove the overall growth, offsetting a decline in LNG re-exports, the report noted.

Between January and May, global LNG exports increased by 5% (8.67mn tonnes) y-o-y to reach 180.91mn tonnes, primarily supported by non-GECF exporters, while exports from GECF countries and LNG re-exports grew to a lesser extent.

Non-GECF countries were the largest LNG exporters globally in May 2025, with a market share of 54%, followed by GECF countries at 45.9% and LNG re-exports at 0.1%.

Compared to May 2024, the market shares of non-GECF and GECF countries increased from 53.6% and 45.6%, respectively, while the share of re-exports declined from 0.8%.

“The US, Qatar and Australia were the top three LNG exporters in May,” GECF said.

In May, global LNG imports jumped by 6.9% (2.25mn tonnes) y-o-y to reach 34.75mn tonnes, marking a record high for the month.

Europe continued to drive the growth in global LNG imports, followed by a smaller contribution from the Mena region, while Asia Pacific’s LNG imports remained subdued.

The stronger netback for US LNG delivered to Europe, compared to Asia Pacific, along with weak LNG demand in the Asia Pacific region, supported the continued strong flow of US LNG into Europe.

From January to May, global LNG imports totalled 181.66mn tonnes, reflecting a y-o-y increase of 4.2% (7.36mn tonnes), primarily driven by higher European imports.

In May, the Mena region’s LNG imports surged by 94% (0.79mn tonnes) y-o-y, reaching 1.6479mn tonnes, driven mainly by Egypt and Kuwait.

Between January and May, the Mena region’s LNG imports doubled, increasing by 2.65 Mt to reach 5.3479mn tonnes.

Increased LNG imports in Egypt have compensated for declining domestic gas availability to meet its gas demand. Furthermore, higher gas demand has boosted Kuwait’s LNG imports, GECF noted.