据世界石油8月12日华盛顿报道，据澳大利亚工业、创新和科学部消息，澳大利亚有望超过卡塔尔成为世界上最大的液化天然气出口国。澳大利亚的液化天然气出口能力已经超过卡塔尔，2018年11月和2019年4月的液化天然气出口量超过卡塔尔。明年之内，随着澳大利亚新开工项目的增加和满负荷运转，EIA预计澳大利亚的液化天然气出口量将持续超过卡塔尔。

澳大利亚的液化天然气出口能力从2011年的26亿立方英尺/天增加到2019年的超过114亿立方英尺/天。澳大利亚的DIIS预测，一旦近期投产的Wheatstone、Ichthys和Prelude浮式液化天然气(FLNG)项目全部投产，到2020-2021年，澳大利亚的液化天然气出口将增长至10.8 亿立方英尺/天。Prelude FLNG是一艘位于澳大利亚西北部近海的驳船，是2012年至2018年在澳大利亚投产的8个液化天然气出口新项目中的最后一个，这是大规模液化天然气产能建设的一部分。

从2012年开始，澳大利亚西北部开发了5个液化天然气出口项目:陆上项目Pluto、Gorgon、Wheatstone和Ichthys，以及海上项目Prelude FLNG。目前，澳大利亚西北部的液化天然气总出口能力为8.1亿澳元。在澳大利亚东部，2015年和2016年在昆士兰柯蒂斯岛、格拉德斯通岛和澳大利亚太平洋柯蒂斯岛完成了3个液化天然气出口项目，总铭牌产能为3.4亿立方英尺/天。澳大利亚东部的三个项目都使用煤层气作为原料生产液化天然气。

澳大利亚大部分液化天然气是根据长期合同出口到三个国家:日本、中国和韩国。近年来，澳大利亚液化天然气出口中越来越多的份额被运往中国，以满足其日益增长的天然气需求。其余数量几乎全部出口到亚洲其他国家，偶尔也有少量出口到亚洲以外的目的地。

几年来，澳大利亚东部各州的天然气市场一直在经历天然气短缺和价格上涨，原因是昆士兰州一些液化天然气出口设施的煤层气产量未能满足液化天然气出口承诺。在这些短缺期间，项目开发商一直在用从国内市场购买的天然气来补充自己的生产。澳大利亚政府实施了几项举措，以解决东部各州国内天然气生产短缺的问题。

几家私营公司提议在澳大利亚东南部开发液化天然气进口码头。在拟议的5个液化天然气进口项目中，坎布拉港液化天然气(拟议的进口能力为0.3 亿立方英尺/天)处于最先进阶段，已获得必要的选址许可，并与澳大利亚客户签订了一份承购合同。如果建成，坎布拉港项目将从2021年1月开始使用Hegh Galleon浮动存储和再气化装置。

薛珂 编译自 世界石油

原文如下：

EIA: Australia is on track to become world’s largest LNG exporter

Australia is on track to surpass Qatar as the world’s largest LNG exporter, according to Australia’s Department of Industry, Innovation, and Science (DIIS). Australia already surpasses Qatar in LNG export capacity and exported more LNG than Qatar in November 2018 and April 2019. Within the next year, as Australia’s newly commissioned projects ramp up and operate at full capacity, EIA expects Australia to consistently export more LNG than Qatar.

Australia’s LNG export capacity increased from 2.6 billion cubic feet per day (Bcfd) in 2011 to more than 11.4 Bcfd in 2019. Australia’s DIIS forecasts that Australian LNG exports will grow to 10.8 Bcfdby 2020–21 once the recently commissioned Wheatstone, Ichthys, and Prelude floating LNG (FLNG) projects ramp up to full production. Prelude FLNG, a barge located offshore in northwestern Australia, was the last of the eight new LNG export projects that came online in Australia in 2012 through 2018 as part of a major LNG capacity buildout.

Starting in 2012, five LNG export projects were developed in northwestern Australia: onshore projects Pluto, Gorgon, Wheatstone, and Ichthys, and the offshore Prelude FLNG. The total LNG export capacity in northwestern Australia is now 8.1 Bcfd. In eastern Australia, three LNG export projects were completed in 2015 and 2016 on Curtis Island in Queensland—Queensland Curtis, Gladstone, and Australia Pacific—with a combined nameplate capacity of 3.4 Bcfd. All three projects in eastern Australia use natural gas from coalbed methane as a feedstock to produce LNG.

Most of Australia’s LNG is exported under long-term contracts to three countries: Japan, China, and South Korea. An increasing share of Australia’s LNG exports in recent years has been sent to China to serve its growing natural gas demand. The remaining volumes were almost entirely exported to other countries in Asia, with occasional small volumes exported to destinations outside of Asia.

For several years, Australia’s natural gas markets in eastern states have been experiencing natural gas shortages and increasing prices because coal-bed methane production at some LNG export facilities in Queensland has not been meeting LNG export commitments. During these shortfalls, project developers have been supplementing their own production with natural gas purchased from the domestic market. The Australian government implemented several initiatives to address domestic natural gas production shortages in eastern states.

Several private companies proposed to develop LNG import terminals in southeastern Australia. Of the five proposed LNG import projects, Port Kembla LNG (proposed import capacity of 0.3 Bcfd) is in the most advanced stage, having secured the necessary siting permits and an offtake contract with Australian customers. If built, the Port Kembla project will use the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Hegh Galleon starting in January 2021.