Japan urges Australia to boost LNG output to ensure energy security

Email: online@newsofbahrain.com

TOKYO: Japan’s Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa has asked Australia, its biggest supplier of Liquefied Natural Gas, to boost its LNG output amid the crisis in the Middle East.

“For this unprecedented situation, the affordable and stable LNG supply from ⁠Australia is the lifeline of energy ⁠security in Japan and this region,” Akazawa told Australian Resources Minister Madeleine King during their bilateral meeting.

Japan currently relies on the Middle East for 11 percent of its LNG, while Australia already provides about 40 percent of its imports. This request follows a major disruption where one-fifth of the global LNG supply is offline because Qatar decided to shut down gas production. Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad Al-Kaabi warned it could take months to return to normal deliveries, so Japan is looking to Australia to ensure its energy security.