Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in major gas-producer Qatar on Tuesday for the final leg of a Gulf tour that has focused on securing energy supplies and promoting Japanese high-tech.
Qatar Energy on Tuesday reported a 154.6 billion riyal ($42.47 billion) net profit for 2022, a 58% rise in a year when demand for liquefied natural gas surged following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Japan will establish a liquefied natural gas (LNG) reserve system this year to secure gas resources for "unexpected situations", industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Tuesday.
Current investments in gas infrastructure are falling short of what is needed, officials at an industry conference in Japan said on Wednesday, citing the role they say the fuel has to play in both global energy security and the transition to net zero.