Even if the natural gas can be drilled and collected without any energy inputs, liquefying it will cost approximately 25%. Considering that 25% to be energy invested to gain a saleable product, there would be 25 units of energy invested to get 100 units of LNG. The very highest EROEI would be 100:25 which reduces to 4:1.
In the real world, it takes energy to extract NG. I don't know what typical energy returns would be, but even with an optimistic EROEI of 12:1, the EROEI of LNG would be 3:1. (8 units of energy would be needed to extract 100 units of NG. 25 more units would be needed to liquefy it. 8+25 = 33. 100:33 reduces to 3:1.)
At what EROEI does the cost and risk exceed the return? Seems to me that LNG is near that threshold under ideal conditions.
Grover
PS - This calculation doesn't include externalities which must be paid by others.