Why U.K. Is Getting Natural Gas From the Amazon: QuickTake Q&A

The U.K. received its first natural gas from a new supplier across the Atlantic: Peru. The Gallina liquefied natural gas tanker docked at the Isle of Grain terminal east of London on Saturday after taking advantage of an expansion of the Panama Canal that shaved almost 4,000 miles off its journey from South America. Its long trip is a reflection of shifting world demand for heating and power-plant fuel.

The U.K., the biggest gas consumer in Europe after Germany, relies on imports for about two-thirds of what it needs. Norwegian pipeline gas dominates Britain’s gas imports, followed by liquefied natural gas. More than 90 percent of the LNG comes from Qatar, the biggest of the world’s 19 exporters of the fuel, with the rest from nations including Norway, Algeria and Trinidad & Tobago. Imports may become even more important for the U.K., since domestic production in the North Sea is on the decline.