September 18, 2023--Written by Paul Wiseman for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--After the U.S. led world liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports in first-half 2022, at 11.2 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), a June 8, 2022, fire and resulting long-term shutdown at the Freeport LNG plant in Texas caused the nation to drop from the top spot for the rest of the year. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that 2 Bcf/d, or 17% of total U.S. LNG export capacity, were lost in the aftermath.

But the plant's January 2023 restart pushed the U.S. back to the top for H1 2023, the EIA reported last week, ahead of Australia (10.6 Bcf/d ) and Qatar (10.4 Bcf/d). The U.S. average of 11.6 Bcf/d surpassed its first-half 2022 numbers by 0.4 Bcf/d.