Blog: Ballast bonuses sink LNG shipping activity in the Atlantic

Getting hold of a vessel in the Atlantic at the right price and right time has been more difficult since ship owners started asking for ‘ballast bonuses’. A spike in vessel demand two months back allowed owners to start demanding higher daily charter rates and for their fuel and hire to be covered on the return leg of the journey by the charterer – a cost that the ship owner used to bear. The question is what does this mean for LNG trades out of the Atlantic?

LNG expert Josie Shillito looks at the mismatch in expectations between ship owners and charterers, and its impact on LNG. Click here to read her post on the ICIS blog, Energy Connections.