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Asia spot LNG costs above 7-month high up on hot weather, Mideast tensions

Asian area melted natural gas (LNG) costs increased today to their highest level in over 7 months as heats in Japan and South Korea boosted power need and amid heightened geopolitical dangers due to stress in the Middle East.

The average LNG rate for September delivery into north-east Asia << LNG-AS > was at $12.80 per million British thermal units ( mmBtu), market sources estimated. This is the highest level because mid-December and up from $12.00/ mmBtu recently.

The spot LNG market has actually been bullish this week, with Europe and Asia both gaining practically $1/mmBtu from completion of last week, stated Alex Froley, senior LNG analyst at data intelligence company ICIS.

High temperatures in Japan have improved energy demand. Traders are also watching on stress in the Middle East, he said.

Hot weather in Japan and South Korea is driving gas burn, drawing terminal LNG stocks lower. Nevertheless, the intake has yet to translate into significant area LNG demand, stated Samuel Good, head of LNG rates at commodity rates agency Argus.

The killing of a Hamas leader in Iran has raised issues that the 10-month war in Gaza in between Israel and Hamas was turning into a larger Middle East war.

Market participants have actually increased their risk premium based on the higher threat that supply disruptions might happen in the coming months if the stress intensify further, stated Hans Van Cleef, primary energy financial expert at PZ Energy.

The prospects of Iran getting more actively associated with a. dispute stays not likely but still postures a risk of a closure of. the Strait of Hormuz, what would impact global LNG-markets. considerably, Van Cleef added.

On the supply side, Russia's Sakhalin plant has ongoing. upkeep and packed just five cargoes in July, compared to. regular output of around 15-16 freights, ICIS' Froley stated.

Australia's Ichthys LNG, operated by Japan's Inpex Corp. , has resumed operations following an outage at one of. its trains and is running at 70-80% capability, sources told. Reuters.

In Europe, increasing geopolitical threat, higher temperatures,. upcoming Norwegian Continental Shelf maintenance in September,. and the fortifying of Asian prices, saw north-west Europe LNG. costs rally 11.5% over the week, stated Karim El Afany, handling. editor of Atlantic LNG at S&P Global Commodity Insights.

S&P Global Commodity Insights examined its day-to-day North West. Europe LNG Marker (NWM) rate benchmark for cargoes provided in. September on an ex-ship (DES) basis at $11.475/ mmBtu on Aug. 1,. a $0.17/ mmBtu discount rate to the September gas price at the Dutch. TTF hub.

Argus assessed the August shipment rate at $11.50/ mmBtu,. while Glow Commodities examined it at $11.613/ mmBtu, stating. this was the greatest rate given that early December, and the. narrowest discount rate to the TTF because August 2023.

Atlantic LNG freight rates fell for the fourth consecutive. week to $73,700/ day on Friday, while the Pacific rates increased for. the sixth week going to $75,250/ day, said Spark Commodities. expert Qasim Afghan.

(source: Reuters)