China’s Gas Demand Surges with Urban Growth and LNG Boom

China has been the focus of oil traders' attention for years thanks to its seemingly insatiable demand for the fuel. Now, the country is about to cast itself as the star of the natural gas show as well. Last year, China’s natural gas consumption hit 394.5 billion cu m—a 7% annual increase, analysts from Columbia University’s Center of Global Energy Policy wrote in a recent paper. The authors noted that while most of the new demand came from industrial consumers, urban heating and cooking demand rose much faster, adding 10% versus...