Outlook for Natural Gas

A new natural gas order is emerging. Resources are abundant and gas is a flexible fuel that can meet multiple needs across the energy system, with lower emissions than coal or oil. However, the competitive landscape is formidable, policy pressures can evolve rapidly and gas infrastructure is not cheap. This focus on natural gas, part of the World Energy Outlook 2017, explores in detail the contours of this new gas order. It examines how the rise of shale gas and liquefied natural gas are changing the global gas market as well as the opportunities and risks for gas in the transition to a cleaner energy system.