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Asia area LNG holds at 6-week top amid sustained demand

Asian spot liquefied gas (LNG) was unchanged today, keeping at a sixweek high over $9 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) for a. third successive week, as demand from purchasers continued shoring. up costs.

The typical LNG rate for May shipment into northeast Asia. << LNG-AS > held at $9.50/ mmBtu, the like the previous week,. which was its highest level because February 9, industry sources. approximated.

Need was sustained due to colder-than-normal weather. driving some gas demand in northeast Asia, stated Ryhana Rasidi,. gas and LNG expert at information and analytics company Kpler.

She added that Chinese players are likely waiting on. additional price declines to encourage more LNG purchasing and that the. recent earthquake in Taiwan has had little effect on prices as. no nuclear facilities was impacted.

A representative from Taiwan's state-owned energy business CPC. told that its 2 LNG import terminals had actually not been. impacted by the earthquake and are operating usually, while. imports remain on schedule.

In India and South Korea, high terminal stocks have been. capping interest from purchasers, but lower stocks in Japan. have underpinned some demand, said Samuel Good, head of LNG. pricing at product prices company Argus.

In Europe, S&P Global Product Insights examined its day-to-day. North West Europe LNG Marker (NWM) price criteria for freights. delivered in May on an ex-ship (DES) basis at $8.14/ mmBtu on. April 4, a $0.20/ mmBtu discount rate to the May gas rate at the. Dutch TTF hub.

Argus evaluated the May delivery cost at $8.10/ mmBtu, while. Trigger Commodities examined the April delivery price at. $ 8.047/ mmBtu.

European gas prices have been under pressure as the. temperature levels are rising and we have reached the end of the. winter season, stated Hans Van Cleef, chief energy financial expert at. PZ - Energy.

With stocks well filled, and healthy LNG flows towards. Europe anticipated, costs of the active month agreements have. dropped.

However, the introduction of Egypt's natural gas business EGAS. for LNG deliveries to Jordan, and expectations that the. country's need might reach some 20 freights, has raised the. prospects of competition for European purchasers for summer freights. to be packed from Atlantic terminals, included Good from Argus.

On the other hand, on spot LNG freight, both the Atlantic and. Pacific rates both fell for a 2nd successive week, said. Trigger Products analyst Qasim Afghan.

The Atlantic area rate fell to $44,750/ day on Friday, while. the Pacific spot rate alleviated to $47,000/ day.

(source: Reuters)