Reuters reports that “supporters of U.S. energy exports have pounced on the crisis in Ukraine to press their case for faster approvals of liquid natural gas (LNG) projects and for an end to the decades-long ban on exports of most U.S. crude oil.”  

“LNG supplies from the United States could help some Western European countries react to any Russian aggression in coming years, but because of added transportation costs the fuel could be too expensive for others in Central Europe who are likely to remain dependent on neighbors, energy experts said.”  

“As President Vladimir Putin’s forces tightened their grip on the Crimea peninsula in the Ukraine on Monday, the moves heightened concerns that the crisis could widen and that Russia could slash its shipments of natural gas to Europe, about half of which are sent through the Ukraine via pipeline.”  

“The United States is the world’s top natural gas producer, due in recent years to hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, and horizontal drilling. Surplus U.S. energy could go a long way to providing Europe an alternative to Russian supplies, supporters say.”