May 8 (Reuters) - U.S. liquefied natural gas exporter

Cheniere Energy reported higher first-quarter LNG

revenue on Thursday, helped by higher demand for the

superchilled fuel and rise in natural gas prices.

LNG, or liquefied natural gas, is natural gas cooled into

liquid form for transport.

The U.S. became the world's top exporter of LNG in 2023,

overtaking Australia and Qatar, and gained further momentum

after President Donald Trump lifted a moratorium on new export

permits in January.

Cheniere said the rise in revenue was driven by higher

natural gas prices.

The reported quarter included a $725 million boost from

increased Henry Hub-linked LNG contract pricing and $428 million

from stronger short-term marketing sales amid elevated global

gas prices, the company said in a filing.

The company reported LNG revenue of $5.31 billion for the

three months ended March, compared with $4.04 billion a year

ago.