Resource-scarce Japan is shoring up long-term supplies of liquefied natural gas from close allies Australia and the United States as key contracts from providers including Russia are set to expire by the early 2030s.

Japan*s biggest power generator JERA last month agreed to buy a 15.1% stake in Woodside Energy*s Scarborough project in Australia. It was the latest in a string of deals as the fallout from Russia*s invasion of Ukraine threatens to disrupt access to gas from its northern neighbor, making it more imperative to find reliable long-term supply sources.

LNG accounts for about a third of Japan*s power generation and it is the world*s second-largest importer behind China.