Japan asks Australia for increased LNG output to ensure energy security
3/14/2026 12:53:05 PM
Japan’s Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa has asked Australia, Japan’s biggest supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG), to boost output in light of the Middle East crisis.
Japan relies on the Middle East for about 11 percent of its LNG imports, with 6 percent shipped via the Strait of Hormuz.
“For this unprecedented situation, the affordable and stable LNG supply from Australia is the lifeline of energy security in Japan and this region,” Akazawa told Australian Resources Minister Madeleine King during their bilateral meeting.
“We would like to sincerely ask for your continued contribution to stable supply, including the possibility of increasing production as much as possible,” Akazawa said.
Australia supplies about 40 percent of Japan’s LNG imports.
The request comes as about a fifth of global LNG supply is offline after Qatar decided to shut down gas production due to the ongoing conflict, disrupting energy supplies from the Middle East. Last week, Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi said it could take months to return to normal deliveries.
Japan relies on the Middle East for about 11 percent of its LNG imports, with 6 percent shipped via the Strait of Hormuz.
“For this unprecedented situation, the affordable and stable LNG supply from Australia is the lifeline of energy security in Japan and this region,” Akazawa told Australian Resources Minister Madeleine King during their bilateral meeting.
“We would like to sincerely ask for your continued contribution to stable supply, including the possibility of increasing production as much as possible,” Akazawa said.
Australia supplies about 40 percent of Japan’s LNG imports.
The request comes as about a fifth of global LNG supply is offline after Qatar decided to shut down gas production due to the ongoing conflict, disrupting energy supplies from the Middle East. Last week, Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi said it could take months to return to normal deliveries.