Latest News

Asian spot LNG somewhat up amid lower than average demand

Asian spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) increased slightly this week tracking European gas markets, while warm weather report, strong storage stocks and weak financial data in China helped keep need muted.

The average LNG rate for December shipment into northeast Asia << LNG-AS > increased slightly to $13.60 per million British thermal systems (mmBtu) from $13.40/ mmBtu last week, industry sources estimated.

The rate for January delivery was estimated at $14/mmBtu.

Asian LNG front-month prices remained largely stable ... due. to a rise in European TTF rates. This stability reflects weak. basics, with robust supply and lowered need driven by. unseasonably warm weather, said Go Katayama, LNG and natural. gas analyst at Kpler.

Although chillier temperature levels are anticipated for Northeast. Asia, these are anticipated to remain brief. Some area need may. arise as winter season progresses, but ample area supply must keep. costs balanced for the week ahead, Katayama included.

In Japan and South Korea, temperature levels will slowly drop. towards typical levels in the coming week, nevertheless, heating. need across Asia remains lower than average for the time of. year, stated Klaas Dozeman, market expert at Creation Commodity. Intelligence.

Financial numbers have been pushing commercial need,. most especially the disappointing inflation numbers from China. accompanied by lower producer costs, he said.

Asian prices were supported by European gas rates which. rose to a near one-year high amid continuous issues over Russian. supply and as cold weather sapped gas stocks.

Austrian energy group OMV said an award of more than $243. million in connection with irregular German gas products from. Gazprom might impact its Gazprom supply deal.

Extremely low wind output, particularly in Germany,. coincided with temperature level decreases, resulting in high gas. usage for power and heating purposes, leading to. significant net withdrawals from underground gas centers. across the continent, Kpler's Katayama stated.

European gas storage sites were last 92.1% complete, down from. 95.2% seen at the start of the month, data from Gas. Infrastructure Europe showed.

S&P Global Product Insights examined its everyday North West. Europe LNG Marker (NWM) rate criteria for freights provided in. December on an ex-ship (DES) basis at $14.058/ mmBtu on Nov. 14,. a $0.25/ mmBtu discount rate to the December gas price at the Dutch. TTF center, the highest prices seen in almost a year.

Argus examined the rate at $13.535/ mmBtu, while Spark. Commodities evaluated it at $14.107/ mmBtu.

On the back of this rally, the U.S. arbitrage, diverting a. physical cargo from one market to another, to north-east Asia. for December fell by $0.65 and is presently pricing in at. $ 0.88/ mmBtu, signalling that trigger month U.S. freights are. incentivised to voyage to Northwest Europe for an eighth week. straight, stated Spark Commodities analyst Qasim Afghan.

In LNG freight, Atlantic rates have increased to $26,000/ day on. Friday, while Pacific rates continued to decline for the 14th. straight week to $26,000/ day, he included.

(source: Reuters)