The one issue with developing liquefied natural gas export facilities is the time it takes to build one of these facilities. If Europe starts to tap some of its own shale gas reserves, it could bring down natural gas prices in the region and chip away at the potential profitability of LNG exports.

Can American LNG exporters get up and running in time, or will European shale gas start to flow sooner than we expected? In this video, Motley Fool contributor Tyler Crowe and analyst Joel South discuss why LNG exports are looking to race against time and who is in position to win.