Hi guys, definately worth a punt....Japan Turns Focus to...

Hi guys, definately worth a punt....

Japan Turns Focus to Australia

...Japan's thirst for liquefied natural gas (LNG) is set to increase, following the country's announced plans to phase out nuclear power by 2040.

....In Tokyo Gas' annual report released this year, the company described why it sees natural gas as the fuel that will become the most important ingredient among the fuel mix when it comes to power generation.

....After surging demand caught them by surprise last year, Japanese power plant operators have since started to look at several alternative regions – most notably at countries with upcoming LNG projects between the 2013 to 2020 time frame – to bolster their LNG stockpiles.

From the start of this year, it has become clear to industry watchers that Japanese power plant operators, and the Japanese LNG industry as a whole, are shifting its focus onto Australia - the emerging powerhouse of LNG production.

With seven world-scale LNG projects that have already reached their final investment decision stage, Australia has been acknowledged as a country poised to overtake Qatar as the largest LNG exporter by 2020. Four of the country's new projects draw from gas fields in Western Australia: Gorgon, Prelude, Wheatstone and Ichthys.

...This year saw several high profile agreements inked; significant because these transactions are setting the stage for Japan and Australia's relationship in the LNG sphere for the years to come.

http://www.rigzone.com/news/oil_gas/a/121949/Japan_Shops_for_Alternative_LNG_Sources_amid_Burgeoning_Demand