[SAJ]

I'm not up to date on the current price of LNG in, particularly, Asia, but I know that fairly recently it was above $10/MMCF. Given the recent decline, I can hardly imagine it is lower than roughly $9.00. Give you $2.00 for transport (generously) and $1.50 for liquefaction, and that is still one hell of an arbitrage, right, mate?

And the $1.50 cost rates to drop considerably once the Cheniere and other facilities are on line, does it not?

This would seem to make exporting a much more attractive, hence a considerably larger, portion of the natty industry in future.

Not making an argument pro or con here -- just trying to get a handle on what MARKET forces, as opposed to goobermint fiat forces, may portend.

Best to you as always, mate.

[thackney]

It takes years to build a liquefaction export terminal. We don’t have much capacity today at all. I think the market conditions will change to quickly (domestic price rising) to get much LNG export capacity built. And remember, most of these players got burned building LNG import facilities they didn’t get to use much at all. They will be slow to invest in that combined with the fickle and quickly changing politics that could leave their investment idle. my 2¢.