Energy supplies have remained tight since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with oil prices surging above $130 for the first time since 2008, and US natural gas prices recently hit $7.50 per million British thermal units, the highest level since 2008.

In order to reduce their dependence on Russian energy supplies, major European countries such as Germany are and plan to import liquefied natural gas from the United States and other places. According to the agency's rough estimate, US natural gas export revenue will be close to 30 billion US dollars in the first quarter, more than half of Russia's natural gas export revenue for the whole of 2021.

At the same time as natural gas prices soared, the share prices of relevant US stocks also continued to rise.

Among themThe largest natural gas producer in the United States$EQT Energy (EQT.US) $It has risen more than 95% so far this year, leading the rise in the natural gas sector of US stocks. As natural gas prices continue to climb, the company's free cash flow and balance sheet are expected to improve significantly, with rising returns on shareholder capital attracting more and more investors.

Management is also optimistic about the outlook: in December, management approved a $1 billion share buyback program that runs until December 31, 2023. At the same time, the company also announced the resumption of regular cash dividends, with annual payments of $0.50 per share starting from the first quarter of fiscal 2022.

The two oil and gas giants in the United States$Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.US) $And$Chevron Corp (CVX.US) $It has also shaken the upside, up 45% and 48% respectively so far this year.

Data show that in terms of oil reserves, Exxon Mobil Corp has proven oil reserves of 9.88 billion barrels and Chevron Corp 6.1 billion barrels. In terms of natural gas, in recent years, Exxon Mobil Corp's natural gas production is about 8.5 billion cubic feet per day, and Chevron Corp's natural gas production is about 7.3 billion cubic feet per day. In recent years, the natural gas production of the two giants has either declined or been flat.

The largest liquefied natural gas exporter in the United States$Cheniere Energy (LNG.US) $A number of long-term LNG sales contracts have been signed in recent months and have been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the gas supply crunch, with shares up nearly 38 per cent this year.

In January, the United States exported five times more natural gas to the European Union than Russia's pipelines, the first time in history that the United States has exceeded Russia's, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Us LNG exports are expected to reach 5.86 trillion cubic feet by 2033, 65 per cent higher than current levels.

Goldman Sachs Group predicts that US LNG exports will account for 22% of global demand this year, surpassing Australia and Qatar, the two largest exporters, and ranking first in the world.