As U.S. LNG exports peak on the continent, cities across Europe are turning to natural gas from wells in Texas and Louisiana to light and heat their homes.

After its tankers reached Ukraine, Russia cut off pipelines to Europe, its biggest consumer. Sanctions have driven hundreds of LNG carriers offshore, forcing Europe to supply more US LNG than ever before. US LNG exports to Europe will more than double between 2021 and 2022, according to Kepler commodity data.

The imports, combined with mild weather and soaring prices, have dampened demand, reducing the risk of a harsh winter that could hit Europe's economy and leave its population in the dark. As the EU sets ambitious carbon reduction targets to reduce the impact of climate change, many European consumers are concerned about switching to fossil fuels.

For now, Europe is forced to increase LNG imports from the US, strengthen transatlantic trade ties and elevate America's role as an energy superpower.

But before American liquefied natural gas can be burned in a power plant in Italy, used to cook food in Spain, or used as fertilizer in Germany, it must be extracted from the ground, processed, cooled in pipes, loaded onto a ship and exchanged. Gas again. The journey will include thousands of miles of pipelines through Appalachian and Gulf Coast gas fields. A huge multi-billion dollar refrigerator; and international special vessels.

This is what the journey looks like.

Gas production

Today, US producers are drilling for gas primarily in the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico; Marcellus Shale, under much of Appalachia; and the Haynesville Basin, which spans eastern Texas and western Louisiana. These regions accounted for 70% of US shale gas production in January, according to the Energy Information Administration.

pipeline

Good for once

separation

good

6000 and above

12000

Two legs

good

6000 and above

12000

Two legs

pipeline

Good for once

separation

good

6000 and above

12000

Two legs

Executives and analysts expect these basins and Hinesville to supply the gas needed for several planned Gulf Coast export terminals in the second half of this decade. "You need Appalachia and Haynesville to serve the LNG side," said Bill Way, CEO of gas producer Southwest Energy Co.

To reach the gas, drillers insert pipes attached to the well into the ground. Workers typically drill about 2 miles vertically before turning the bit horizontally to drill about 2 miles into the shale. Then the hydraulic fracturing crew comes in and runs powerful pumps that pump water, sand and chemicals into the well to break up the shale rock and extract the gas molecules.

Gas purification

After hydrocarbons return to the surface, oil and gas, if necessary, are separated in a special container. Then the gas is transported to the processor through small diameter pipes. Water is removed there, as well as impurities such as sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide, which reduce the heat capacity of the gas or cause pipeline corrosion. Propane and butane are sold separately in addition to gas processing products.