Chinese demand for natural gas is going to increase hugely over the next 25 years, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and American firms are probably going to benefit.

Workers tend to a drill well at an exploration site in the Longgang gas field in Lishan, in southwest China's Sichuan province.

According to an article from Oilprice.com, demand from China will triple by 2040, hitting 17.5 trillion cubic feet. But given that the country has had a hard time developing its own shale resources, there are questions about where that natural gas will come from.