Royal Dutch Shell PLC has increased its emphasis on natural gas production over the past few years, a move CEO Peter Voser expects to pay off in the long run. The energy giant is primarily an oil producer but has built sprawling natural gas export stations in Australia, Africa and Canada as well as gas-to-liquids factories in Qatar.

Voser has led Shell since 2009 but faces tough challenges this year. The world's remaining oil and gas deposits are increasingly hard to access, and one of Shell's most prized drilling rigs was recently damaged in an accident off Alaska's coast (EnergyWire, Jan. 16).

Still, Voser is optimistic about the future of energy production, particularly in the field of natural gas. "Gas will play a very dominant role and will have much higher growth rates than, for example, with oil and longer term also [with] coal," he said.

Voser also discussed hot spots on the global energy market, from Nigeria to China, lauding the latter nation for its energy policy. "In a country like China ... you get a much clearer idea where you need to invest and what is the ultimate goal," he said. "And then as an industry, you can actually contribute."

Voser called for a similar regulatory environment in the United States. "I just need clarity [on] what to do," he said (Russell Gold, Wall Street Journal, Jan. 15). -- BS