By Curtis Williams

HOUSTON, Jan 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. in 2025 became the first country to export more than 100 million metric tons (mmt) of liquefied natural gas in a single year, powered by the startup of production from new plants, preliminary data from LSEG showed.

The world's largest LNG exporter sold 111 mmt of the fuel, almost 20 mmt more than its nearest rival Qatar and nearly 23 mmt more than it did last year, LSEG data showed.

U.S. shipments accounted for roughly a quarter of global LNG exports last year.

Venture Global's VG.N Plaquemines facility - the country’s second-largest export plant - delivered 16.4 mmt in 2025 after sending its first cargo in December 2024, LSEG data showed.

Alex Munton, director of global gas and LNG at research firm Rapidan Energy Group, said the 24% year-on-year growth came down to high utilization across onstream terminals and a rapid ramp up at new facilities.

The annual record was supported by a monthly milestone in December when the U.S. exported 11.5 mmt, a record for a single month, the data showed.

In 2025, the U.S. set five monthly production records.

"It is remarkable that in nine years the U.S. has gone from zero LNG exports to over 100 mmt, and the success validates the U.S. approach of selling free on board and pulling gas off the grid and the reliability of U.S. supplies," Jason Feer, head of business intelligence at shipping firm Poten and Partners, said on Friday.

EUROPE REMAINS MAJOR EXPORT MARKET

Europe remained the main destination for U.S. LNG, with 9 mmt sold to the continent last month as the Northern Hemisphere winter deepened and Europe reduced its purchases of Russian gas, LSEG ship tracking data show.

Turkey, which supplies Europe with some Russian gas, stepped up its purchases of U.S. LNG in December, buying 1.45 mmt.

In December, the U.S. sold 1.23 mmt of the superchilled gas to Asia, down from November's 1.75 mmt, the data showed.

Egypt continues to buy significant amounts of U.S. LNG cargoes amid its natural gas shortages, buying 0.78 mmt in December, while the Americas region took 0.42 mmt.

With Plaquemines targeting full capacity this year, Cheniere's LNG.N smaller modular plants expected to either be at full volume or ramping up, and the first train at Golden Pass LNG - a joint venture between QatarEnergy and Exxon Mobil XOM.N - set to begin production in the first quarter of 2026, Feer predicts the U.S. could increase its annual production this year by another 20 mmt.

(Reporting by Curtis Williams in Houston; editing by Nathan Crooks and Louise Heavens)

((Curtis.Williams@thomsonreuters.com; +1 346 324 7560;))