U.S. LNG has been on the fast track as new export capacity along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast draws in increasing volumes of U.S. natural gas. But the impact of that unprecedented buildout has only intensified over the past several weeks as U.S. and Israeli forces launched surprise airstrikes in Iran, triggering retaliation that disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and knocked out key parts of Qatar’s LNG infrastructure. In today’s RBN blog, we’ll discuss how the conflict with Iran could impact the U.S. gas and LNG market in the short, medium and long term.
Today’s blog is a recap of our March 26 webcast, Invasion U.S.A. – U.S. LNG Update and Impacts of the War in Iran, available to our Backstage Pass, Arrow Model and LNG Voyager subscribers. The title of the webcast riffs on the 1985 action film Invasion U.S.A., which starred Chuck Norris as a one‑man wrecking crew fighting off a surprise assault on American soil. Predictably, the movie is a bit campy, but it fits the larger-than-life aura that Norris came to embody. Whereas we dove into the specifics around the war and LNG in the webcast, here we’ll outline the top issues.
To begin to understand the importance of the conflict in Iran on LNG markets, first note that the world’s largest gas field lies in the Persian Gulf between Qatar and Iran. Iran claims the northern part (green-shaded area to upper-right of dashed yellow line in Figure 1 below), which they call South Pars, while Qatar controls the southern part (green-shaded area to lower-left of dashed yellow line), called the North Dome. (The naming is kind of upside-down, if you ask us.)
Figure 1. The South Pars and North Dome Natural Gas Field. Source: RBN
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About the song
“Eyes of the Ranger” was written by Tirk Wilder and sung by Chuck Norris. It first appeared on Walker, Texas Ranger, in the 11th episode of Season 3 in January 1995, making its final appearance in Episode 24 in Season 9 in May 2001. The lyrics of the song describe a Texas Ranger searching out bad guys and making them pay for their wrongdoings. It was never released as a single. The song earned Tirk Wilder the BMI TV Music Award for three consecutive years. Wilder met Norris through Norris’ bodyguard, Bob Green, who gave Norris the Wilder demo of “Eyes of the Ranger.” Norris liked the song and got it placed in the show with Norris singing it, accompanied by uncredited musicians at a Dallas studio. Wilder re-recorded the song and released it on his solo studio album, I'm Letting Go, released independently in December 1999.
Chuck Norris was an American martial artist, actor, screenwriter and author. The champion martial artist got his start in acting from his friend, Bruce Lee. His friend and martial arts student, Steve McQueen, encouraged Norris to take acting classes at MGM Studios. His first significant leading role was in the 1978 film Good Guys Wear Black. He starred in 34 motion pictures and 15 television shows and authored 11 books. His best-known role was Sergeant Cordell Walker on the hit television series Walker, Texas Ranger. We at RBN are saddened to learn of the passing of Chuck Norris in Kaua'i, HI, in March at 86. We extend our sympathies to his family, friends and fans.
"About the Song" -- written by Mickey McMahan , RBN Director of Musicology
