Shipments from Canada’s LNG Canada plant surpassed 1 million metric tons in April, marking a new monthly record, according to LSEG data, as the $40‑billion facility is ramping toward its full design capacity. All cargoes set sail to Asia, mainly South Korea.
More than half of the volumes were shipped to South Korea via long‑term offtake agreements signed before the plant’s final investment decision. Korean and Japanese utilities – notably KOGAS and Mitsubishi – hold contractual rights to fixed volumes over 20‑year terms as part of their equity stake in the LNG Canada joint venture.
One single cargo was also delivered to China in April, with the tanker Qingcheng discharging its LNG at the Dongjiakou terminal on April 24 after a roughly three‑week voyage from Canada. That delivery reflects China’s state importers’ growing use of non-US LNG cargoes as Beijing effectively halted direct imports from the United States in response to sanctions.
Instead, Chinese traders often resold U.S.‑origin LNG into flexible spot markets, where they can capture higher prices than those locked in under long-term contracts.
PetroChina’s offtake from LNG Canada is about 15% of the project’s output and for Phase 1, that equates to roughly 2.1 mtpa out of the terminal’s 14 mtpa of initial capacity.
Phase 2 on the cards
Equity partners and investors are actively evaluating a Phase 2 expansion that could add another train and potentially push total export capacity above 20 mtpa. The expansion is subject to securing additional feedgas, environmental approvals, and financing.
Recent gas‑infrastructure approvals in British Columbia, notably expansions to the upstream pipeline network, suggest that feedgas supply can be scaled up to maximise the turnout of the existing facility and a future expansion phase.
Developers are keen to seize the time-critical window of opportunity during the halt in Qatari shipments to capture a larger share of Asia’s evolving LNG demand. (May 4, 2026, Source: https://lngjournal.com/index.php/latest-news-mainmenu-47/item/116231-exports-from-lng-canada-set-fresh-record-in-april)
CANADA - LNG - SUPPLIES - IMPORTS - EXPORTS