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LNG shipping rates tumble to multi-year lows as brand-new vessels come online

Melted natural gas shipping rates have actually hit multiyear lows and may extend losses entering into 2025, analysts and shipping sources stated, with brand-new tankers being added at a much faster rate than LNG production is increasing and area demand still warm. New LNG tankers, built in anticipation of rising U.S. exports after a plunge in Russian gas supplies to Europe in 2022, are coming online earlier than liquefaction tasks, which have been postponed amidst inflation from strong wage growth and a. scarcity of proficient labour and devices.

With more ships anticipated to come, freight rates for LNG. tankers might remain depressed up until late 2025 when brand-new production. starts up, stated Samuel Good, head of LNG pricing at product. prices firm Argus.

Some liquefaction capability hold-ups, mainly in the U.S., have. helped trigger this mismatch between fleet development and LNG supply. development, he stated.

LNG freight rates for the Atlantic and Pacific basins fell. on Friday to $20,750 and $36,750 daily respectively, according. to rates firm Spark Commodities.

The rates are down 87% in the Atlantic and 78% in the. Pacific from year-ago levels, and are the weakest for that. duration given that a minimum of 2019.

There is no arbitrage chance between the U.S. and northeast. Asia through the Cape of Good Expect the next 12 months, according. to Stimulate Commodities, making it more successful for U.S. cargoes. to be provided to northwest Europe. With the marketplace signalling U.S. freights to Europe, Asia will. have to source more of its LNG locally, leading to lots of LNG. vessels in both the Atlantic and Pacific largely staying. within basin, said expert Qasim Afghan.

This lower lot mileage and for this reason higher vessel. schedule, when integrated with a great deal of newbuildings. getting in the market, produce a few of the major aspects triggering. LNG freight rates to plummet in current months.

There were around 45 newbuild shipments up until now this year. as much as early October, according to Argus' Great, with at least as. many scheduled in the next 6 months, pending hold-ups to. shipments.

We do not see this speed of additions slowing substantially. till mid-2026, he added.

A shipbroker estimated that nearly 70 new ships this year. will be added to the global fleet of close to 800 vessels, with. more coming next year. He declined to be determined as he was. not authorised to speak with the media. Lukewarm need for LNG in Europe and Asia has actually likewise damaged the. require vessels for shipment of the fuel, the shipbroker stated,. with European storage mainly currently complete ahead of winter. There is no financial incentive for traders to store LNG on. vessels in the lack of a contango structure where rates are. greater in future months, they included.

Using vessels as floating storage results in less vessels. in the market ... However this time we are not seeing that. opportunity at all.

(source: Reuters)