In the July 2026 edition of this quarterly series, Stephanie Duran reflects on her new role as Acting CEO of the Asia Natural Gas & Energy Association, policy priorities in Australia and the US, recent engagements in Japan and the outlook for ANGEA in the second half of 2026.
You’ve just taken on the role of Acting ANGEA CEO – how has the experience been so far?
I’m really excited. ANGEA already plays an important role in the Asian energy ecosystem and I’m enjoying working with the team on the next steps of our development. We’re very grateful to Paul Everingham for the great job he has done as ANGEA’s inaugural CEO, giving us a really strong platform to build on. As Asia’s energy circumstances evolve – and obviously we’ve seen a lot of disruption over the past few months – it’s an apt time for ANGEA to take stock, assess where we are at and map out our approach going forward. As always, ensuring nations in Asia have access to the gas they need for both energy security and decarbonisation will be a strong priority.
As you mentioned, a lot has happened over the past few months with conflict in the Middle East. What have been your biggest takeaways?
Firstly, while the energy impacts of this conflict have been spoken about extensively, we shouldn’t forget that this is a very human issue. The lives of millions of people have been affected, and it is hoped that peace can be realised and normality in some ways restored.
From an energy perspective, my biggest takeaway from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has been the importance of diversity of supply to energy security. While it’s difficult to fully prepare for a situation where close to 30% of Asia’s LNG is taken offline, countries which have built diverse supply chains have been better able to negotiate the uncertainty and disruption. This includes diversity of supply sources, supply companies, contract durations, and pricing terms. The past few months have demonstrated the value of reliable LNG supply from countries around the world, including established major exporters like Australia and the US and emerging export markets in Canada, Africa and South America.
Another thing that has stood out is the interdependence of energy relationships. We’ve seen how a country like Australia relies strongly on its Asian LNG customer nations for supply of refined petroleum products. Trade partnerships are two-way relationships and during challenging times, it’s critical that countries work effectively together – as has been the case with Australia and Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and others.
What do you see as ANGEA’s role within that context of supply diversity?
We will continue to work with supply countries to help ensure there is sufficient global LNG supply for all nations in Asia that seek to use it. I know this has been a growing part of ANGEA’s work over the past three years – making sure decision makers in export nations are aware of the very positive impact their gas production has on Asia. I’ve just returned from both Japan and Australia, where it was a major part of our conversations with key stakeholders. Nations in Asia, like Japan, are very much relying on Australia remaining a reliable supplier of LNG that underpins energy security while also driving decarbonisation.
Both visits were productive and informative. I really appreciated the opportunity to meet a wide range of people from ANGEA’s membership. It was also good to connect with trade associations and key research organisations to discuss shared challenges and opportunities. And, of course, I was able to meet with government representatives in both countries to see where we have close alignment and can seek opportunities for closer collaboration.
While in Canberra, I was thilled to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation between Australia and Japan. This alliance is extremely important, not only for the two countries directly involved but for the Asia Pacific region more broadly. And energy is a big part of the relationship. Japan has been a foundational investor in the Australian gas industry and the LNG it buys from Australia powers homes and industries in Japan.
With this in mind – and acknowledging the wider importance of Australian LNG to Asia – it’s paramount that Australia’s proposed gas reservation scheme is designed so as not to jeopardise energy security, domestically or regionally. The scheme must be prospective, predictable, and commercially flexible. We certainly raised these points with the Australian government stakeholders we spoke to.
ANGEA’s Neil Theobald, Stephanie Duran and Paul Everingham catch up with Australian Ambassador-Designate to Japan Andrew Shearer and his team in Tokyo.
And from Australia, it was pretty much straight to the US with your family?
For those who don’t know, while I’ve spent much of the past 10 years working in Asia, I’m originally from the East Coast of the United States and worked for the US Department of Energy for more than 20 years. It was the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4 and a nice milestone to celebrate with family and friends back home.
But it’s also a working trip and I’m looking forward to spending the week of July 13-17 in DC. In addition to the ANGEA Steering Committee meeting on July 16, I’ll be meeting with governments and political stakeholders, fellow trade associations and a range of other organisations connected to the energy industry. Like Australia, it’s vital that we reinforce how critical US LNG supply is for both established and emerging import nations in Asia. The emergence over the past 10 years of the US as the world’s biggest LNG exporter has provided diversity of supply and flexibility that is much-needed and simply wasn’t available during previous decades. While we can’t downplay the energy ramifications for Asia of the Middle East conflict, the impact on global markets would have been even more pronounced without US LNG.
What should people expect to see from ANGEA in the second half of 2026?
We’ve got some exciting plans for Gastech in Bangkok, which we’re looking forward to letting people know about soon. It’s fantastic to have the global gas industry’s premier event return to Asia, where so much LNG demand growth will come from over the next 25 years. Thailand is a really fitting host country as well, as a nation that became Southeast Asia’s first LNG importer 15 years ago and has matured significantly.
ANGEA is also working towards some big-ticket, public-facing activities in policy and advocacy . It’s still a little too early to say much about them but, as always, we’re aiming to shape conversations and narratives that are central to Asia’s future. Watch this space!
One thing I can say is that ANGEA will have an even stronger focus on supporting regional energy security. It’s clearly top of mind across Asia and it’s natural that our work should align with that.
Stephanie Duran is Acting CEO of the Asia Natural Gas and Energy Association. ANGEA works with governments, industries and communities in Asia, providing affordable solutions that promote energy security, economic growth and decarbonisation.
