Trafigura Group Chief Govt Officer Richard Holtum stated the liquefied pure fuel trade wants a “little bit of innovation” in the case of financing initiatives.
“I really feel sorry for LNG initiatives within the US,” Holtum stated on a panel on the LNG 2026 convention in Doha. “They might solely get financial institution financing once they present that they’ve bought 80%-90% of their quantity on long-term initiatives.”
LNG builders are scrambling to totally finance their initiatives to export extra of the gasoline, with the following wave of manufacturing from terminals beneath development within the US and Qatar on account of enter the market over the following decade. Within the US, a number of initiatives together with Delfin LNG off the coast of Louisiana, are working to finalize the debt and fairness commitments.
The present strategy of LNG financing contrasts with oil, the place banks are extra snug with the inherent worth of the commodity, the CEO stated.
“While in case your mission financing some oil exploration, it’s merely the financial institution takes a view that, okay, oil is price $40, $50, $60, $70, no matter it’s, it doesn’t matter, they take a view, that’s what it’s price in the long run,” he stated.
The same mannequin for LNG, the place mission financing relies on a long-term worth forecast for the gasoline, doesn’t appear to be growing, Holtum stated.
Nonetheless, international LNG capability is about to rise by about 50% by the tip of the last decade — the most important build-out within the trade’s historical past — led by the US.
The present association, the place 90% of LNG is bought to utilities beneath long-term contracts, dangers working into difficulties as a result of many corporations and nations have made net-zero commitments, in response to the Trafigura CEO.
“If they’ve made these commitments, signing a 20-year contract or a 25-year contract that begins in 2030 is inherently problematic,” Holtum stated. “And it doesn’t essentially make loads of sense to be doing that.”
Generated by readers, the feedback included herein don’t mirror the views and opinions of Rigzone. All feedback are topic to editorial assessment. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting feedback might be eliminated.

