During 2008, Cedigaz completed several studies of the prospects for the LNG market in the medium term. The most recent analysis, completed in December, pointed to a worldwide demand for LNG of 405 bcm by 2015, an increase of 75% over the 2008 figure. The annual rate of growth would be around 10% between 2010 and 2012 and slightly higher (+6.5%) between 2012 and 2015. Other points of interest are as follows:

• LNG transactions as a percentage of the world trade in natural gas will increase from around 25% to somewhere between 35% and 40%.
• The LNG market in the Atlantic Basin (America and Europe) will grow at annual rates that are above the average: 17.7% to 2012 and 10.7% from 2012 to 2015.
• Liquefaction capacity at all the plants around the world will increase from 208 million tonnes / year in 2008 to 293 million tonnes / year in 2012 , a rise of 44%. Between 2012 and 2015, this capacity will increase by a further 9.7% to 321.6 million tonnes / year by 2015.
• Regasification capacity will continue to increase substantially, rising from 497 million tonnes / year in 2008 to 788.5 million tonnes / year by 2015.
• In Europe, the study predicts that regasification capacity will rise from 102.4 million tonnes / year at the present time to 201.2 million tonnes / year in 2015. The study indicates that there will be excess regasification capacity in Europe, with consumption levels falling.