When you combine the abundance of shale gas in North America, the massive energy needs of the Asia-Pacific region, and Europe's desire to get energy from anyone but Russia right now, liquefied natural gas transport is about to take center stage as the next critical cog in the global supply chain of energy. This makes for some ripe investment opportunities, but which company is best suited for your portfolio? The stable, long-term LNG contracts at Teekay LNG Partners (TGP) or GasLog (NYSE: GLOG) are one option, or you could go with the more special situations such as chemical feedstock specialist Navigator Holdings (NVGS 1.38%) or the one-stop shop for LNG at Golar LNG (GLNG -0.04%).

The following presentation will help you better understand the basics of the LNG shipping industry. It will take you through the basics of what you need to look for in a LNG tanker company, as well as what differences between these companies could mean for you as an investor. You may find that the one for you wasn't what you originally thought.