Increasing Demand for
Natural Gas
The environmental benefits provided by natural gas
and advances in technology are ensuring its role as
the preferred fuel. There has been a steady increase
in natural gas production over the past ten years.
Data reported by WEC Member Committees for the present
Survey, supplemented by information derived from other
sources (including Cédigaz), indicate that world production
of dry marketable natural gas was some 2.4 trillion
cubic metres (85 trillion cubic feet) in 1999, an
increase of 4.1% over the comparable 1996 total published
in the 1998 Survey. Trends indicate that this steady
increase will continue in the coming years as the
world moves towards less carbon-intensive energy strategies.
Early indications point to accelerated growth during
2000, reflecting (inter alia) the implementation of
new and expanded LNG export schemes in Nigeria, Oman,
Qatar and Trinidad.
China’s consumption of coal in 1999 decreased; at
the same time it increased its natural gas consumption
by 10.9% over 1998. In the Asia Pacific region, consumption
of natural gas increased by 6.5%. With nearly 50%
of the world’s population, and growing economies that
demand energy, this region has the potential to significantly
impact the future demand curve for all energy sources.
It is anticipated that a fairly significant portion
of the demand will be met by natural gas.
