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Asia spot rates get on hot weather, Australia facility failure

Asian spot melted gas (LNG) prices increased to a sixmonth high this week on the back of cooling demand in India, greater projection temperature levels in northeast Asia and suspended production at an Australian gas center.

The typical LNG rate for July shipment into north-east Asia << LNG-AS > was at $12.60 per million British thermal units ( mmBtu), its highest level because Dec. 15, market sources estimated.

The August delivery cost was estimated at $12.70/ mmBtu.

The strength of demand in Asia has provided some support to rates and differentials, said Lucas Schmitt, research study director on short-term LNG at Wood Mackenzie. The level of tendering activity has stayed high due to a combination of basic chauffeurs throughout nations, consisting of strong financial activity, heat, challenging upstream production and restocking need.

We anticipate Asian summer LNG demand to increase year-on-year, however at a softer rate than in the last couple of months. Inventories for key northeast Asian markets seem broadly well balanced, Schmitt added.

Area need from India remains strong as a heatwave continues, said a trader. Monsoon rains, nevertheless, have brought some cooling and hesitancy in the middle of high spot rates, said Rystad Energy expert Lu Ming Pang, which might result in a possibility of lower spot activity in India.

Pang included that northeast Asian buying had actually generally been for trade optimization, despite the meteorological companies of Japan and Korea forecasting a 50% likelihood of above-normal temperatures in June and July.

Regardless of the approaching warm weather report, there is still a lack of considerable market activity, which might recommend adequate products for the summertime season ahead. At current costs, it is most likely that northeast Asian gamers will bide their time to evaluate advancements in summer requirements.

REPAIR

On the supply side, Chevron has actually suspended production at its Wheatstone gas center in Australia to repair the platform's fuel gas system. It has begun repair work, which is anticipated to be finished in the coming weeks.

The production suspension supported Europe gas rates this week. S&P Global Product Insights assessed its day-to-day northwest Europe LNG Marker (NWM) rate criteria for freights delivered in July on an ex-ship (DES) basis at $11.151/ mmBtu on June 13, a. $ 0.07/ mmBtu discount to the July gas rate at the Dutch TTF hub.

Argus examined the July delivery rate at $11.10/ mmBtu,. while Glow Commodities evaluated it at $11.122/ mmBtu.

But low European need for gas has actually kept storage levels at. record highs this year, with Wood Mackenzie forecasting storage. will be complete by end-September and remain so up until end-October,. with an extra 4 million metric tonnes per annum (tpa) of. floating storage likewise accumulated.

Limitations on European injection demand this summertime and. weak downstream consumption continue to weigh on the region's. LNG receipts, stated Samuel Good, head of LNG pricing at. commodity pricing firm Argus.

An open inter-basin arbitrage for Atlantic loadings is. continuing to draw LNG far from Europe and to Asia rather,. where demand has actually stayed strong even as Asian spot provided. costs have actually risen well into the double digits.

On the other hand, LNG freight rates experienced sharp increases. today, stated Spark Commodities analyst Qasim Afghan, with the. Atlantic spot rate rising to $64,250/ day on Friday, and the. Pacific rate getting to $48,000/ day.

(source: Reuters)