Australia is set to eclipse Qatar as the world’s biggest producer of LNG after production jumped 21 per cent last financial year to 75.1 million tonnes. Aussie LNG production jumps 21pc The West Australian16 Jul 2019STUART MCKINNON https://thewest.com.au/business/ene...ia-worlds-biggest-lng-producer-ng-b881260494z WA projects were the main drivers of the surge in output, which is estimated to have netted local producers $50.5 billion in revenue in 2018-19, maintaining LNG’s status as the nation’s third biggest export earner behind iron ore and coal. The data, compiled by Adelaide-based energy advisory firm EnergyQuest, showed INPEX’s Ichthys project off the Kimberley coast and Chevron’s Wheatstone project off the Pilbara coast drove the growth in output. EnergyQuest predicts Australia will produce as much as 80Mt of LNG this financial year, boosted by a full year of production from Ichthys and Shell’s Prelude floating LNG project which came online last month. That would put Australia in front of Qatar which has nameplate capacity for 77Mtpa. Japan continued to be the biggest buyer of Australian LNG in 2018-19, accounting for 41 per cent of exports. However, China is close behind, accounting for 37 per cent of exports followed by South Korea with 10 per cent. Japan is the biggest market for west coast exports but China is the biggest market for Queensland exports. Australia continues to be the biggest LNG supplier to Japan and China and the second biggest to South Korea. In June, total LNG shipments were 6.2Mt (90 cargoes), down from 6.4Mt (94 cargoes) in May, mainly because of an unexpected maintenance shutdown at Woodside’s Pluto project and a week-long shutdown at Chevron’s Gorgon project.