Together with “boots on the ground” Business Development this is where I am right at home. There is plenty of LNG around now but its not all apples and apples. What I mean is that suppliers, contracts and logistical chains are wildly different and while one supply deal can make your day, a different one might develop into a veritable nightmare.

Even if you get access to a quality seller, things are very rarely straightforward.

Make no mistake. Securing LNG supplies is not a matter of hanging with other LNG business developers at posh hotel lobbies at energy events. It involves a lot of waiting time in countries with funny plumbing, inside buildings with bad air conditioning. It involves countless fruitless attempts to meet decision makers and it involves dealing with a horrible lot of frustration.

LNG buyers have to behave like upstream companies in many ways without becoming one if they ever hope to be successful. This is a dance on the tightrope but if it’s your only chance to lay your fingers on some LNG that suits your requirements, you will have to walk it.

Supply projects are long and arduous and results are always uncertain. There are many funny proposals which sometimes border downright fraud. They will offer you LNG supply from the unlikeliest of sources and with real juicy margins. There is a huge number of bad apples.

OK, I have pretty stern preconditions if this is what you want me to do.

I will not engage in pure bonus based engagements. This means that I will not work on the promise of a large sum of money later when the deal is bagged. If this is what you are looking for I am most definitely not for you. I will only work on a retainer basis and I will run a very deep and specific conflicts check to be sure that there are no cross obligations. LNG is a small world and reputations are to be taken care of.

There is only one promise I make. I source LNG with producers right where they are. Middlemen and brokers have no role in my work world.