The Panama Canal aims to see a five-fold increase in LNG shipments by 2020 as production levels in the US expands and Asian import demand rises.

Volumes could hit 30mt per annum (mtpa) in a little less than two years, up from 6mtpa in 2017, Panama Canal Authority (ACP) administrator Jorge Quijano told Reuters.

“Right now on average, we’re running six LNG vessels per week, but in the very near future, you will have several plants exporting and that starts to add up,” Quijano said.