One big winner in War on Iran: US natural gas exporters. Big loser: Europe
a day ago
- The US is a major beneficiary of the Iran war, with LNG exports skyrocketing as Qatar's production is offline for years due to Iranian strikes.
- Europe is heavily reliant on US LNG after banning Russian energy, but faces a severe gas shortage as Asian buyers outbid them for spot market cargoes.
- Asian countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh pay record prices for LNG, diverting shipments that previously went to Europe, worsening Europe's supply crisis.
- US natural gas companies enjoy massive profit margins due to low feedgas costs and high global LNG prices, with LNG set to become the US's second-largest export industry within five years.
- Japan's LNG imports from the US surged 15 times from February to July 2026, after Qatari supply collapsed due to the war.
- Europe's storage deficit is 158 TWh, equivalent to 15 million households' yearly demand, forcing it to pay soaring spot market prices to refill reserves.