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US LNG projects advance as spot remains low

Global LNG prices remained soft in the four weeks to mid-January as US export projects continued to progress, adding yet more capacity to an already oversupplied market. The ICIS East Asia Index for February deliveries to Japan, South Korea, China and Taiwan averaged $5.295/MMBtu, falling 4% from the month before, and down 40% compared to […]

Spot LNG prices for January slide as US plants begin

Spot LNG prices over the past four weeks for January 2020 cargoes to Asia averaged $5.515/MMBtu, falling back 11% from average prices for December 2019 cargoes during the previous four weeks. The market remains oversupplied with LNG, with new US projects continuing to enter the market at the end of the year. So far there […]

Asian LNG softens on mild weather, strong supply

Spot LNG prices in east Asia softened over the past four weeks on indications of mild weather for the winter ahead and against a background of strong global supply growth. The ICIS East Asia Index for December deliveries to Japan, South Korea, China and Taiwan was at $6.75/MMBtu on 16 October, rose to as high […]

Spot bulls challenge LNG supply bears

Cuts to Dutch gas production, French nuclear troubles and a court case impacting Russian pipe flows combined to give a sharp upwards boost to spot gas prices in Europe in mid-September. This fed through to spot LNG prices worldwide as Asian buyers raised their bids to ensure they could compete for required winter supplies. As […]

Freeport LNG set for first cargo, storage talk grows

The 5.0 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) US Freeport LNG train one was getting ready to load its first cargo in August, adding the prospect of further downward pressure on an already soft spot LNG market. Meanwhile, talk about the possibility of storage plays was growing, as traders considered using vessels as floating cargo storage, […]

LNG spreads tighten, Gulf braces for storm

Spot LNG prices held below $5.00/MMBtu in the four weeks from mid-June to mid-July on the back of continued strong supply in the global market. However, spreads between regions were tightening up in the middle of July as European gas prices strengthened on the back of Norwegian maintenance outages. Meanwhile, the approach of Tropical Storm […]

European energy prices looking weak heading into third quarter

This article was written by Harriet Roberts. It discusses the findings of the ICIS European Energy Mid-Year Outlook 2019 European energy prices weak on oversupply, power benchmark front-year has room to fall European wholesale gas and power prices are set for a bearish third quarter, underpinned by strong supply at both a continental and global […]

Spot LNG falls, but tensions in Gulf

Spot LNG prices remained low around the world in mid-June, prompting continued speculation over whether US producers might cut back output later this year to re-balance the market. New projects continue to come into operation, including the loading of the first cargo from Australia’s 3.6 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) Prelude facility and the start-up […]

Spot LNG prices steady at low levels

Global spot LNG prices held steady over the four weeks from mid-April to mid-May, remaining at a low level compared to last year, with no major changes to near-term supply/demand fundamentals. The ICIS East Asia Index for June averaged at $5.386/MMBtu across the period, rebounding 14% from the previous month, but down 32% from last […]

IMO 2020: Will you sink or swim?

In just eight months, the International Marine Organisation (IMO) 2020 regulation will cut the maximum sulphur content in marine fuels worldwide, in an attempt to clean up the shipping industry. The new regulation will impact all levels of the market across the globe, from oil drilling operations in Nigeria to refineries in China. The IMO […]

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