Asia

The price of Asian LNG spot rose this week due to geopolitical developments surrounding Russian sanctions and tensions around the Middle East. However, muted demand in the region and high inventories capped the gains. Average LNG price for delivery in October to Northeast Asia Industry sources estimate that the price per million British Thermal Units (mmBtu) is now $11,50, up from $11,30/mmBtu in the previous week. Estimated price for November delivery is $11.60/mmBtu. Go Katayama of Kpler said that Asian LNG prices largely tracked the geopolitical premium in European gas prices, rather than Asian fundamentals. He added that the European...

It might seem audacious to the world's biggest natural gas producer that it demands its largest market stop purchasing from a rival. This is exactly what happened this week in Milan at the annual meeting of the global gas industry. U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum delivered a clear message at the beginning of the Gastech Conference. Doug Burgum, the Interior Secretary of the United States, delivered a message that was clear: Europe should cease purchasing gas from Russia. The United States will gladly replace it. Burgum said that American energy dominance is a key part of Donald Trump's agenda in...

It might seem audacious to the world's biggest natural gas producer that it demands its largest market stop purchasing from a rival. This is exactly what happened this week in Milan at the annual meeting of the global gas industry. U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum delivered a clear message at the beginning of the Gastech Conference. Doug Burgum, the Interior Secretary of the United States, delivered a message that was clear: Europe should cease purchasing gas from Russia. The United States will gladly replace it. Burgum said that American energy dominance is a major part of Donald Trump's agenda in...

Alparslan Bayraktar, the Energy Minister, said that Turkey had signed LNG supply agreements with international energy companies. The deals will secure around 15 billion cubic meters (bcms) of gas over the period 2026-2028. Gastech 2025, a conference held in Milan by the Turkish state energy company BOTAS and eight suppliers, saw contracts signed over two days. The initial agreements with BP ENI Shell covered 8.7 bcm. Five additional deals were signed on Wednesday to expand the portfolio, including deliveries from companies based out of Britain, Germany, Japan, and Norway. Hartree, a UK-based supplier, will provide 600 million cubic metres over...

Sources from top Russian companies, including the vast Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom, and giant gas concern Gazprom, are looking at selling "panda bonds" denominated in yuan, according to company sources on Monday. Western capital markets, however, remain closed to Russia. Since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian companies are no longer able to access the capital markets of the West. The Financial Times reported Monday that China is preparing to reopen the domestic bond market for major Russian energy companies, as Xi Jinping & Vladimir Putin continue to deepen their partnership "without limits". Putin, who visited China this week,...

The Chinese rating agency CSCI Pengyuan gave a triple-A rating to the Russian oil giant Gazprom, which was blacklisted by the United States. Media reports said Beijing is preparing to reopen their domestic bond market for major Russian energy companies. "Gazprom’s rating reflects both its strategic importance and its legal ties with the Russian government," CSCI Pengyuan stated. It added that the firm's "strong business profile" as a global leader in the oil and gas industry, and its significant position on the Russian energy market, underpins its credit profile. The "AAA", with a stable outlook, rating came only days after...

According to data provided by analytics firms Kpler & Vortexa, a liquefied gas (LNG), tanker loaded cargo for the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 plant in Russia last week. This was the sixth time this year that the plant has been used. The cargo was sanctioned due to Russia's conflict in Ukraine. It is the first time since the project began last year that cargo has been received by a final-user. According to Kpler data and Vortexa, six tankers have already picked up cargoes at Arctic LNG 2 this year. The latest was La Perouse which arrived on August 27 and...

LSEG released preliminary data on Monday showing that Russia's exports in January-August of liquefied gas decreased by 6.3% compared to a year ago, to 19.3 millions metric tons. This was due to a steep decline caused by the Yamal LNG Project. U.S. sanctions against Ukraine have also slowed down LNG exports, particularly from Russia. The new Arctic LNG 2 facility has been effectively frozen due to the difficulties Moscow faces in finding buyers. Ship-tracking data provided by Kpler and LSEG revealed that China received its first LNG shipment from the sanctioned Russian Project last week. This was just days before...

The Asian spot price of liquefied gas (LNG), despite a lackluster demand, fell this week due to an abundance of supply. A cargo of LNG from a sanctioned Russian facility was also delivered. This added to the supply concerns. Average LNG price for delivery in October to Northeast Asia Industry sources estimate that the price per million British Thermal Units (mmBtu) was $11.15, down from $11.40/mmBtu a week ago. "LNG market mood remained calm, with arbitrage still destined for Europe. Due to the high stock levels and the relatively loosening of Pacific balance, major Northeast Asian buyers are not interested...

Gas traders in Europe have been racing against time to fill up depleted storage facilities before winter. As demand on Asian markets is waning, Europe will see a spike in liquefied gas imports. This will give traders and governments more breathing space. It was a niche concern to ensure that European gas supplies are at maximum levels before the cold weather arrives. But it has become a political necessity after Russia's invasion of Ukraine 2022, which led to a sharp reduction in pipeline gas imports. The EU implemented rules in that year that have since been relaxed, requiring that storage...

Data from Kpler and LSEG showed that a tanker loaded with liquefied gas from Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 plant, sanctioned by the United Nations, moored on a southern Chinese import terminal Thursday after having been laden at a Russian facility in June. The first cargo to arrive from the Arctic LNG 2 Project would be if the LNG tanker discharges at the terminal. Western sanctions are targeting the project because of Russia's conflict with Ukraine. According to LSEG data and Kpler, the Arctic Mulan LNG Tanker sat idle off the coasts of Egypt between February and April, before traveling through...

Data from Kpler and LSEG showed that a tanker carrying liquefied gas from Russia’s sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 facility moored on a southern Chinese import terminal on Thursday after loading in a Russian storage site in June. The first cargo to arrive from the Arctic LNG 2 Project would be if the LNG tanker discharges at the terminal. Western sanctions are targeting the project because of Russia's conflict with Ukraine. According to LSEG data and Kpler, the Arctic Mulan LNG Tanker sat idle off the coast of Egypt between February and April, before traveling through the Suez Canal and Red...

Azerbaijani figures showed that the country's oil exports through the Baku, Tbilisi, and Ceyhan pipelines fell by 5.3% between January-August, down from the previous year. The route had been contaminated with contaminated oil. In July, organic chloride contamination was found in Azeri BTC crude shipments. This caused several days of delays in loadings at Turkey's BTC Ceyhan Terminal. BP operates the Azeri Chirag and Guneshli Oilfields. The BTC pipeline runs through Georgia into Turkey. Azerbaijan shipped 24.6 million tonnes of oil in the first eight month of this year, with 74.7% of that going through the BTC. This is according...

JERA will investigate the possibility of liquefied gas from the Alaska LNG Project, JERA and Glenfarne announced, while talks continue to sign binding contracts for the $44 billion project. Glenfarne, which assumed the role of lead developer in the Alaska LNG Project in March, has already signed preliminary agreements with Taiwan's CPC, and Thailand's PTT. However, firm deals are yet to be finalized. Glenfarne announced in a press release that it had signed a letter-of-intent with JERA to sell 1 million tons of LNG per year from the project for a period of 20 years on a "free-on-board" basis. In...

Sources said that the differential between Urals and Brent crudes in Russia remained unchanged, but that exports of this grade were revised upwards for September due to lower domestic refining. Two industry sources and calculations show that Russia revised its September crude export plans from western ports up to 2.1 millions barrels per day, an 11% increase over the initial schedule. This is due to drone attacks on domestic refining plants reducing local demand for crude. PLATTS WINDOW On Wednesday, there were no bids or offers made on Urals, Azeri BTC Blend or CPC blend in the Platts Window. The...

Energy developer Glenfarne has agreed to supply Japan's largest power generator JERA with 1 million metric tons LNG per year for 20 years. This is a significant advance for the $44 Billion Alaska LNG Project, which had been criticized for its high cost. Glenfarne aims to make a final investment decisions (FIDs) on the Alaska LNG pipeline by the end of 2025, and for the LNG export components in 2026. Glenfarne, which acquired a 75% stake in the Alaska LNG Project in March and assumed the role of lead developer, has already signed preliminary agreements that cover more than half...

U.S. officials have said that solar-powered highway infrastructure, including chargers, weather stations at roadside, and traffic cameras, should be scanned to detect rogue devices, such as hidden radios, secreted within batteries and inverters. The Federal Highway Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation issued the advisory late last month amid an escalating campaign by government officials to address the use of Chinese technology on America's transport infrastructure. The four-page note on security, which was reviewed, stated that undocumented radios were found "in certain power inverters manufactured by foreign manufacturers and BMS," meaning battery management systems. The note was not reported...

A senior executive of Malaysian state oil company Petronas stated on Wednesday that Southeast Asia was well positioned to export its biofuels into other markets, such as Europe, as the production capacity in the region exceeds demand. Ahmad Adly Alias told the APPEC Conference in Singapore that by 2030, Asia's annual sustainable aviation fuel production capacity is expected to reach 4,000,000 metric tons. He said that "this surplus positions ASEAN to be a viable net-exporter into markets such as Europe." Ahmad Adly stated that Asia's strength lies in the availability of feedstocks, increased production capacity, and an accelerating demand. He...

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has issued a safety warning to airlines on Tuesday, citing an alarming number of incidents involving lithium batteries. The FAA has recommended that airlines implement risk mitigation strategies. This includes clear messaging about potential fire risks associated with lithium batteries carried by crew and passengers, and reviewing firefighting training and procedures. The FAA reported that 50 incidents of lithium-ion batteries causing extreme heat, smoke or fire have occurred in the U.S. this year. Some of these have caused accidents or injuries. A cell phone that was being used by a passenger on an American Airlines flight...

Argent LNG, a U.S. energy company, has signed a deal to supply 5 million metric tonnes of gas per year with Enerji Piyasalari Isletme AS in Turkey. The move is aimed at supplying U.S. natural gas to Europe and possibly Syria. Argent LNG is building a liquefied gas export facility in Louisiana. In January, it signed a nonbinding agreement with Bangladesh to supply up to 5,000,000 metric tons annually of this fuel. This was the first significant U.S. LNG deal since U.S. president Donald Trump started his second term. The press release stated that "the company has committed to an...

Two sources familiar with the matter confirmed that Japan hired Wood Mackenzie, an energy consultancy, to assess the proposed 800-mile Alaska gas pipeline project and LNG plant. This is a sign of its support for the $44billion project pushed by U.S. president Donald Trump. One of the sources said that the assessment could ease concerns of potential Japanese investors and off-takers about a project which has been stalled for decades because of cost and logistical issues. It is not clear what the scope of the Wood Mackenzie deal is, nor if any report that results from it will be public....

Ukraine's Energy Ministry said that Russian forces attacked a thermal power plant in the Kyiv area as part of a nighttime attack. This caused localised blackouts, and gas shortages. The strikes came a day following the largest air strike by Moscow in its three-and a-half-year war against Ukraine. The ministry posted a message on Telegram saying that the goal was to "cause even more hardship for the peaceful population in Ukraine", and to leave Ukrainian homes and hospitals, kindergartens, schools and other institutions without heat and light. On Monday, rescuers and technical workers were on the scene. The Russian defence...

Two sources familiar with the matter confirmed that Japan hired Wood Mackenzie, an energy consultancy, to assess the proposed 800-mile Alaska gas pipeline project and LNG plant. This is a sign of its support for the $44billion project pushed by U.S. president Donald Trump. One of the sources said that the assessment could ease concerns of potential Japanese investors and off-takers about a project which has been stalled for decades because of cost and logistical issues. It is not clear what the scope and cost of this deal will be, nor if any report that results from it will be...

According to an official document and a source with knowledge of the issue, India has canceled grid access to nearly 17 gigawatts (17 GW) of clean energy projects that have been delayed. This is to give priority to those projects which are already operational or close to completion. Documents show that the state-run Central Transmission Utility of India Ltd. (CTUIL), informed companies such as Adani Green Energy, ReNew Power NTPC Avaada Group JSW Energy, ACME Solar, and ReNew Power about the cancellations. According to a federal agency that oversees interstate transmission access, the affected projects are located within renewable-rich Indian...