A weaker U.S. dollar is keeping the LNG away. Many commentators and analysts continue to hypothesize about the odds of increased U.S. imports of liquefied natural gas this year and next.

It's quite simple: As long as the U.S. dollar is weak and demand for natural gas across the Atlantic and Pacific is reasonably strong, free-agent LNG tankers will not come to the U.S., and new U.S. LNG regasification capacity won't be funded.

U.S. natural gas producers could be particularly grateful, since uncontracted LNG cargoes dumping their loads at U.S. regas terminals would mean depressed world natural gas prices. The cargoes landing in the U.S. would probably settle for prices under the spot, ...