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Asia spot prices reduce from 8-month top on weaker need

Asian area liquefied natural gas (LNG) costs eased this week from a more than eightmonth top on the back of relieving area demand and as European gas prices also fell.

The average LNG price for October shipment into north-east Asia << LNG-AS > was at $13.80 per million British thermal systems ( mmBtu), industry sources estimated, down from $14.10/ mmBtu last week.

Regardless of hot weather in east Asia increasing gas usage for power demand, the greater costs restricted purchasing from some importers in the region. Asian LNG prices might continue to drop next week too, stated Ana Subasic, gas and LNG analyst at information and analytics company Kpler.

While there might be some spot demand from Japan and South Korea due to high power sector gas usage, price-sensitive buyers in South and Southeast Asia are anticipated to hold off on purchases till costs fall, she said.

Recently, buyers in India and Thailand have failed in granting spot tenders, she included.

The price decreases come despite supply disturbances from one of the two trains at Australia's Ichthys LNG plant in Darwin today, its 2nd failure in the past month.

In Europe, S&P Global Product Insights evaluated its day-to-day North West Europe LNG Marker (NWM) rate benchmark for freights provided in October on an ex-ship (DES) basis at $12.047/ mmBtu. on Aug. 22, a $0.15/ mmBtu discount rate to the October gas price at. the Dutch TTF hub.

Argus assessed it at $12.00/ mmBtu, while Spark Commodities. assessed the September rate at $11.794/ mmBtu.

Europe gas rates alleviated on Friday in the middle of cooler temperature levels. and weak renewables generation. Temperature levels throughout. Europe are also seen dropping this weekend, said Kpler's. Subasic, including that strong sustainable power generation is most likely. to lower the requirement for gas-fired power.

Meanwhile, U.S. feedgas flows have been steady, while. regulatory filings show Corpus Christi's stage 3 and the. Plaquemines terminals are stepping closer to first feedgas. invoices and first LNG production, in line with their planned. start-up dates, stated Samuel Good, head of LNG prices at. product prices agency Argus.

On LNG freight, Atlantic rates fell for a second straight. week to $61,500/ day on Friday, stated Spark Commodities analyst. Qasim Afghan. This is the most significant week-on-week decrease in over. a month, and marks an over $15,000 decline in the last 2. weeks, he included.

Pacific rates likewise declined, reducing to $78,750/ day.

(source: Reuters)