BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 9. Global liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply continued its upward trajectory in the third quarter of 2025, expanding by 7.9 bcm - or 6.2 percent - year-on-year, according to the latest outlook from the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES), Trend reports.
The institute noted that this marks a faster pace of growth compared to the second quarter, when global LNG imports rose by 4.8 bcm (3.7 percent).
The increase was largely driven by strong supply growth from the United States, which added 6.7 bcm and accounted for the majority of the global expansion. Meanwhile, Canada emerged as a new contributor, with LNG Canada ramping up output and adding around 0.9 bcm to Pacific Basin supply.
“While imports from Qatar and Australia declined slightly, the United States remained the main engine of global LNG growth,” the OIES said, noting that Malaysia’s 2.2 bcm increase represented a rebound to 2023 levels following a temporary drop last year.
Russian LNG exports fell by 1.25 bcm year-on-year, returning to Q3-2023 levels due to heavy maintenance at the Yamal LNG facility in August - part of a biennial maintenance cycle. Similarly, Indonesia recorded its second consecutive quarterly decline in net LNG exports, down 0.7 bcm year-on-year.
In the Atlantic Basin, total imports rose modestly by 0.5 bcm year-on-year. Trinidad and Tobago saw its highest third-quarter performance since 2020, increasing exports by 0.7 bcm, while the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) floating LNG project, located on the border of Senegal and Mauritania, contributed an additional 0.5 bcm of new supply.
By contrast, Norway’s Hammerfest LNG plant operated well below capacity, with net exports at only 56 percent of Q3-2024 levels. Cargo loadings were suspended between April and August due to planned maintenance and delayed restarts, limiting total output to 871 million cubic meters.
According to OIES, the ramp-up of North American LNG production - particularly from the U.S. and Canada - underscores a shifting balance in global gas trade, with Atlantic and Pacific Basin supplies increasingly shaping global market dynamics.
