*

U.S. LNG exports to rise 10% annually through 2030,

analysts say

*

Gas supply to come from major shale basins like Permian

and

Marcellus

*

Pipeline expansions needed to meet growing LNG demand,

CEOs

emphasize

By Scott DiSavino

Aug 22 (Reuters) - U.S. liquefied natural gas exports

will soar by roughly 10% a year through 2030 as energy firms

double their LNG production capacity, according to analysts,

providing a shot in the arm to the country's maturing shale

industry which has seen growth slow and costs rise.

The U.S. is the world's largest oil and natural gas

producer, but many of its best drilling locations have been

tapped. While oil production is expected to plateau or fall in

coming months, gas remains a bright spot for the industry thanks

primarily to the country's booming exports.

U.S. LNG exports are on track to soar from a record 11.9 billion

cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 2024 to 21.5 bcfd in 2030,

according to a U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

outlook. U.S. LNG producers are building new terminals to

superchill gas to its liquid state for export. They aim to meet

booming demand for the fuel worldwide to meet rising energy

consumption and as many countries phase out coal-fired power

plants.

That is providing robust growth prospects for the nation's

gas production regions. Morgan Stanley projects gas output in

the Haynesville shale in Louisiana will soar by 41%, and in the

Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico by 21% from 2024 to 2027.

The Marcellus and Utica shales, which span parts of

Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, will grow by 9%, according

to the Morgan Stanley estimates.

U.S. gas producers and investment firms are gearing up for more

activity in Haynesville, positioning themselves for the boom in

LNG exports boosted by new approvals from U.S. President Donald

Trump.

"Within a 300-mile radius of our (Haynesville) assets, there

(are) more than 12 bcfd of LNG demand under construction to be

in service by 2030," Domenic Dell'Osso, CEO at Expand Energy ( EXE )

, the nation's biggest gas producer, told analysts in

July.

Already this year, U.S. energy firm Venture Global LNG

has sanctioned the construction of CP2, its third export

plant in Louisiana; while rival Cheniere Energy decided

to build two additional liquefaction trains at its Corpus

Christi plant in Texas. Australian firm Woodside Energy Group ( WDS )

said it would move forward with its Louisiana LNG

project.

Analysts expect more energy firms to take advantage of

Trump's favorable federal permit policies to build additional

LNG export plants and pipelines over the next 12 months.

See, Factbox of North American LNG export projects

TRAPPED GAS

Overall, the EIA projects U.S. gas output will climb from a

record 103.6 bcfd in 2023 to around 113.5 bcfd in 2030, with

most of that fuel going to meet soaring LNG export demand.

Canada, meanwhile, will also supply an average of around 7.0

bcfd of pipeline gas to the U.S. over the next five years.

Even with LNG demand rising, the EIA projected total U.S.

gas demand, including domestic consumption and exports, would

only rise by around 1% per year on average from now through

2030, climbing from a record 111.5 bcfd in 2024 to about 120.3

bcfd in 2030.

That slowing growth comes as domestic gas consumption slides

from a record 90.5 bcfd in 2024 to around 89.6 bcfd in 2030, due

mainly to declines in the amount of gas that power generators

burn as renewable output rises.

Some other energy analysts, however, expect U.S. power

generators will burn more gas in coming years than the EIA

forecasts to meet fast-growing demand for electricity from

power-hungry data centers.

New pipelines and other infrastructure will be needed to

transport the gas to market.

In the U.S. Northeast, capacity to transport gas will likely

remain constrained, capping potential output growth there to

just about 3 bcfd by the end of the decade unless more pipelines

get built, according to East Daily Analytics analyst Jack

Weixel.

"Accessing this dependable supply will require new pipelines

and supporting infrastructure," said Dennis Degner, CEO of Range

Resources ( RRC ), one of the biggest U.S. gas producers with

operations in the Marcellus and Utica.

Several U.S. pipeline firms, including Kinder Morgan ( KMI ),

Williams Cos ( WMB ) and Energy Transfer ( ET ), have already

started to spend billions to build hundreds of miles of new

pipe, including in the Northeast, to supply more gas for export

and domestic demand.