Abstract

The last year has been characterized by a dramatic fall in gas demand, important and ongoing LNG capacity additions and the North American unconventional gas revolution. While gas demand and LNG overcapacity are cyclical events which will be absorbed over time, the unconventional gas development could have a lasting and growing impact on world gas markets especially if the North American experience spreads to other world regions. Non-conventional gas plays are widespread all over the world and technology crosses borders easily. There are still huge uncertainties associated with the future worldwide development of unconventional gas, but the potential impact on gas supply, gas security and geopolitics could be dramatic.