The number of liquefied natural gas importers may more than double as a glut damps prices and encourages nations to ditch crude, according to Wood Mackenzie Ltd. More than 50 countries may switch to LNG, with demand from new importers accounting for about 150 million metric tons per year (7.2 trillion cubic feet of gas) by 2025, amid an oversupply of the fuel and tankers to carry it, according to Noel Tomnay, vice president research global gas and LNG at the consultant. That’s about 61 percent of the current global market. “You’ve got easy access to shipping and you’ve got easy access to supply, and you’re going to get, we believe, further rises in the oil price whereas LNG prices, at spot level, are probably going to be quite flat,” Tomnay said in an interview in London. “The opportunity is going to become increasingly compelling for markets to switch […]