International Energy Agency: This Year’s Natural Gas Investment Will Hit a 10-Year High, While Oil Investment May Decline for the Third Consecutive Year

Golden Ten Data reported on May 28 that the International Energy Agency (IEA) stated in a report that global natural gas project investment is expected to increase by more than 10% this year, reaching $330 billion and hitting the highest level in 10 years, while upstream oil investment will decline for the third consecutive year. As the Iran war disrupts the global energy market, energy companies are accelerating investment in other regions and increasing spending on renewables, liquefied natural gas, and coal to strengthen supply security. According to the IEA's Global Energy Investment Report 2026, despite instability in the Middle East, capital input into the energy sector is expected to rise by 5% in 2026 to $3.4 trillion, with $2.2 trillion going to renewables, energy storage, power grids, and low-emission fuels. Investment in oil supply will be less than $500 billion. The growth in natural gas investment mainly comes from U.S. LNG projects, but the current crisis has made Asian importers more cautious about relying on natural gas. Coal investment will reach a 14-year high of $180 billion. Nuclear energy investment is recovering and is expected to reach $80 billion this year. Oil and gas investment in the Middle East in 2026 is expected to fall by 1% due to infrastructure damage, falling revenues, and production disruptions, which have weakened capital expenditure capacity.