For example, Table 1 includes only a portion of expected U.S. LNG projects going forward, as compared to the full list of DOE applications.

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This unexpected spurt will delay America's emergence as a big importer of LNG by a decade, in Mr Stoppard's view.

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The U.S., once a declining oil and gas producer, is slated to begin exporting LNG as early as 2015.

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Prices rose after Libyan gas was cut off as a result of the country's uprising and a lot of Qatari LNG has found a new destination in Japan, deprived of much of its nuclear power since the disaster at its Fukushima plant.

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As a result, Japan which is already the world's largest importer of LNG, has seen demand for the gas rise even further.

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Over recent months, the yen's weakening by about 20 percent against the U.S. dollar has helped export manufacturers but also boosted the cost of purchases of LNG and crude oil to make up for electricity shortfalls as all but two of Japan's nuclear power plants are operating following the March 2011 Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant disaster.

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Meanwhile, the U.S. price advantage may last only a few years since Australia is poised to rival Qatar as the largest LNG exporter by 2018.

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