The Trump administration on Friday touted the delivery of the first-ever shipments of U.S. natural gas to northern Europe as a move that will help lessen the demand for Russian energy supplies.

Energy Secretary Rick Perry said shipments of U.S. liquefied natural gas, or LNG, arrived in the Netherlands and Poland on Thursday.

"U.S. LNG has begun arriving in Europe with some frequency, providing a diverse source of supply and ensuring energy security for Europe," Perry said. "Europe has been looking to the United States as a key potential source for energy diversification to decrease Russia's leverage as the region's dominant gas supplier."

The Trump administration has made approval of natural gas exports a key part of its energy and national security strategy. The U.S. is the world's top producer of oil and gas due to the fracking and shale energy boom. The Energy Department has direct authority over approving licenses for the multi-billion dollar LNG terminals required to ship the fuel abroad.

Cheniere Energy's Sabine Pass terminal in Louisiana was approved last year to begin shipments. Perry touted the terminal's success in moving gas supplies to Europe beginning in Feb. 2016. Perry has approved a handful of terminal permits in his short time as energy secretary. "A growing number of U.S. LNG shipments are expected to be sold to Europe as more liquefaction projects located along the U.S. Gulf Coast come online and begin production and shipment," Perry said Friday.

The volumes sent to Poland and the Netherlands follow deliveries to southern Europe, including Italy, Malta, Spain, Portugal and Turkey, he noted. Spain and Portugal have received multiple cargoes, while "Poland has made it clear that U.S. LNG is critical to its efforts to diversify its sources of natural gas" away from Russia, he said.

The announcement came as analysts began to worry about disturbances to natural gas shipments being blocked from Qatar in response to the Saudi blockade against the country through the Straits of Hormuz, a major Middle Eastern transit point for all energy shipments. Qatar is the world's largest natural gas exporter.

Perry said the U.S. is looking to be the third largest exporter of natural gas in less than three years.

"We will become a dominant energy force, using our research, development, and delivery capabilities," Perry said. "We will reassure the energy security of our allies and partners around the world, acting as a force for good in an environment of uncertainty."