Energy giants are making significant investments in LNG, ignoring forecasts of peak gas demand.
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Aug 18 2025
0mins
Source: CNBC
Oil Majors' LNG Investments: Major oil companies like Shell, TotalEnergies, BP, Exxon Mobil, and Chevron are significantly increasing their investments in liquified natural gas (LNG), anticipating a rise in global demand despite concerns about the energy transition.
Concerns Over Environmental Impact: Analysts warn that LNG, while marketed as a cleaner alternative to other fossil fuels, poses environmental risks, particularly due to methane leaks, and may not serve as a viable "bridge fuel" in the shift towards renewable energy.
Discrepancies in Demand Forecasts: The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that while LNG demand will grow, it may plateau by the end of the decade, contradicting the optimistic forecasts from oil majors, highlighting potential oversupply issues.
Geopolitical Risks and Market Dynamics: Geopolitical tensions, especially in Asia, raise concerns over reliance on fossil fuels, with countries vulnerable to LNG supply disruptions, prompting calls for careful capital budgeting among energy supermajors to ensure long-term profitability.
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Analyst Views on CVX
Wall Street analysts forecast CVX stock price to fall
19 Analyst Rating
15 Buy
4 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 189.240
Low
158.00
Averages
176.95
High
206.00
Current: 189.240
Low
158.00
Averages
176.95
High
206.00
About CVX
Chevron Corporation is an integrated energy company. The Company produces crude oil and natural gas; manufactures transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and additives; and develops technologies that enhance its business and industry. The Company’s segments include Upstream and Downstream. Upstream operations consist primarily of exploring for, developing, producing and transporting crude oil and natural gas; liquefaction, transportation and regasification associated with LNG; transporting crude oil by major international oil export pipelines; processing, transporting, storage and marketing of natural gas; carbon capture and storage; and a gas-to-liquids plant. Downstream operations consist primarily of the refining of crude oil into petroleum products; marketing crude oil, refined products, and lubricants; manufacturing and marketing of renewable fuels, and transporting of crude oil and refined products by pipeline, marine vessel, motor equipment and rail car.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Significant Shareholder Returns: The company returned $6 billion in cash to shareholders in Q1, including $2.5 billion in stock repurchases and $3.5 billion in dividends, demonstrating strong cash flow and commitment to shareholders.
- Geopolitical Impact: The geopolitical conflict in the Middle East has driven energy prices higher, and while Q1 results were impacted by a $2.9 billion headwind from hedging timing, this sets the stage for potential performance rebounds in future quarters.
- Long-term Investment Value: Despite current oil prices potentially being too low, Chevron remains a solid investment choice in the energy sector due to its financial strength and consistent dividend increases, appealing to long-term investors.
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- Energy Price Impact: WTI crude oil prices plunged by 3% to a seven-week low, leading to widespread declines in energy producers' stocks, which exacerbated the overall market weakness and highlighted the direct impact of oil price fluctuations on related sectors.
- Real Estate Market Recovery: US existing home sales rose to 4.17 million in April, a five-month high, boosting the stocks of builders and suppliers, indicating that a recovery in the real estate market could provide positive signals for the economy.
- International Trade Data Improvement: China's May exports increased by 19.4% year-on-year, surpassing expectations, showcasing potential for global economic growth, which may positively influence the US market, despite ongoing uncertainties.
See More
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- Current Oil Flow Status: Before the conflict with Iran, approximately 20 million barrels of oil per day traversed the Strait of Hormuz, accounting for 25% of global seaborne oil trade, but current flows are only about 15% of pre-war levels, indicating a significant energy supply gap.
- Role of Alternative Pipelines: Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline and the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline, capable of transporting 7 million and 1.8 million barrels respectively, are helping to offset some of the supply gap from the Strait of Hormuz, even as global crude inventories have rapidly declined by over 1 billion barrels due to the war.
- Increasing Inventory Pressure: For instance, the Cushing oil storage hub in Oklahoma has seen its inventory drop to 22.4 million barrels, down 4 million from pre-war levels and nearing its operational minimum of 20 million barrels, which could trigger a surge in oil prices if inventory continues to fall.
- Optimistic Outlook for Oil Stocks: Although oil prices have retreated from a high of $114 to around $90, the expected decline in global inventories suggests a potential rebound in oil prices, which could drive shares of companies like ExxonMobil and Chevron higher, making them attractive long-term investments.
See More
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- Oil Flow Reduction: Since the onset of the war, oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has plummeted to only 15% of pre-war levels, indicating a significant energy supply gap, although some ships maintain flow by paying tolls and navigating at night.
- Inventory Crisis Intensifies: Global crude oil inventories have decreased by over 1 billion barrels due to the war, with key storage hubs like Cushing, Oklahoma, facing operational minimum risks, potentially triggering price surges if inventories drop below 20 million barrels.
- Price Volatility Expectations: Despite Brent crude prices rising from $70 pre-war to $114, they have recently fallen to the low $90s, with analysts predicting that if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, prices could average $130 in July and August.
- Positive Outlook for Oil Stocks: As oil prices are likely to rise, shares of oil giants like ExxonMobil and Chevron may rebound, with long-term cash flow growth expectations making them increasingly attractive investments despite current prices being below recent peaks.
See More
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- Bitcoin Investment Perspective: Analysts at Galaxy Digital believe that while the company has potential in Bitcoin investments, they recommend directly holding Bitcoin, showcasing a nuanced view of the cryptocurrency market.
- Stock Performance Warning: CBOE Global Markets' stock has performed poorly, with analysts advising gradual accumulation during price declines, reflecting a cautious stance on market volatility.
See More
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- Chipmaker Recovery: Following last Friday's selloff, chipmakers and AI-infrastructure stocks saw a modest recovery on Monday, with Intel (INTC) rising over 11% after Google placed an order for three million Tensor Processing Units, indicating sustained market demand for AI technology.
- Oil Price Volatility: WTI crude oil prices initially surged over 4% on Monday due to Iran's announcement of an end to military operations against Israel, but later retreated, highlighting market sensitivity to geopolitical risks and affecting investor demand for safe-haven assets.
- Interest Rate Expectations Shift: The market is pricing in only a 3% chance of a 25 bp rate hike at the upcoming FOMC meeting in June, reflecting investor concerns over slowing economic growth, which pushed the 10-year T-note yield to a two-week high of 4.580%, indicating tension over future monetary policy.
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See More
