JERA Co. Inc. Global CEO Yukio Kani said during CERAWeek by S&P Global that it was important to have a portfolio of diversified LNG supply sources , especially from the U.S. as well as Australia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia with an eye on Africa in the future.

“We really like to see a diversified supply portfolio … especially having U.S. supply indexed to Henry Hub, that will basically reduce the volatility of oil indexed LNG,” Kani said March 19 during a press conference with the media.

Tokyo-based JERA is an offtaker from Freeport LNG, which has a three-train liquefaction facility on the Texas Gulf Coast and recently inked a $1.4 billion deal to acquire a 15.1% non-operated interest in Woodside Energy’s Scarborough project in Australia. Scarborough will provide LNG feed-gas to supply Pluto Train 2.

In terms of tapping into supply from Latin America and the Caribbean, specifically Argentina and Mexico, Kani said LNG and ammonia teams within the company continue to monitor the region.

“We are looking at it and it's really encouraging the news coming from those areas [as they look to] develop LNG and hydrogen,” Kani said responding to a question from Hart Energy, but said the region was too far away to consider buying resources.

Kani said the recently announced LNG pause in the U.S. wouldn’t have much of an impact on short-term supply coming into the market but is more of a long-term concern.

“In terms of the long-term [there is only concern] if the U.S. stopped exporting LNG,” Kani said. “Then we as LNG buyers [would] need to find a way to bridge the gap somewhere and obviously we will see more LNG coming up from the Middle East, Africa and Australia.”

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