The growth and development of natural gas supply chains: The case of China and the US

This paper compares growth and development of natural gas markets in the United States and in China between 2000 and 2015. The results demonstrate that, for both countries, the level of development of the natural gas supply chain improved over time, although in recent years, growth in these markets has slowed down. The analysis also shows that while the focus in terms of development and growth for China is the downstream natural gas market, it is the upstream markets for the United States. The paper's analysis suggests that for China to improve growth and development of its natural gas industry, the country's policy should incentivize the development of production and transportation; the US, on the other hand, should allocate resources to the development of its pipeline distribution system.