Building liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants is a notoriously expensive and lengthy proposition: one reason a 2012 study found the cost of the Alaskan project might actually be as high as $65 billion. And because the Asian gas market is forecast to be oversupplied until the early-2020s at least, and LNG projects are so risky, companies have a strong incentive to make splashy announcements with big partners, to frighten off other potential suppliers. The global LNG business resembles a giant game of chicken, with every player trying to convince the competition that they are poised to throw tons of money at scary, game-changing projects . If the Alaskan project goes through it will compete with Cheniere, which in turn might […]