Middle East Countries Plan LNG Export Cuts to Europe

Major Middle East LNG suppliers are expected to cut exports to Europe for the first time in 20 years.

These countries are planning to cut exports due to rising demand for the energy source in the domestic market.

Qatar, Oman, Yemen and Abu Dhabi, which supply about 40 per cent of the world's LNG, exported at 96 per cent of capacity last year, according to the International Group of Liquefied Natural Gas Importers, or GIIGNL, a Paris-based lobby group. That will fall to about 94 per cent in 2012, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, the newspaper said.

The four Middle East LNG producers exported 95.6 million tonnes last year.