North Asia’s top liquefied natural gas buyers are looking to resell shipments due in part to high inventories, a move that is bound to push spot prices lower.
Chinese importers, including PetroChina Co., are offering to sell LNG shipments for December delivery, according to traders with knowledge of the matter. That’s on top of Chinese firms already reselling at least five shipments for November, the traders added.
Some Japanese importers are also offering shipments. That’s partly to optimize portfolios, according to traders, and comes as LNG inventories held by power companies have risen to the highest level since May.
The moves indicate that Asia is well situated for winter, and is unlikely to aggressively compete with Europe for gas shipments. The market has been on edge due to the possibility of colder weather or disruptions threatening to tighten global supply.
Read More: Mild Chinese Winter and Ample Supply to Keep Coal, Gas Subdued
North Asian spot LNG prices for December are currently around $16.5 per million British thermal units, which is too high for Chinese firms to import and sell into the cheaper domestic market, traders said.
Other spot market news:
- Sakhalin Energy, which operates the Sakhalin II project in Russia’s Far East, is considering a tender to sell LNG cargoes for loading in January
- Adnoc LNG, a unit of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., sold a cargo on a DES basis for late-Dec. to early-Jan. delivery to the Middle East or Asia
- Vitol expects Delfin Midstream Inc. to take a final investment decision on its US LNG export plant in the first part of next year, said Pablo Galante Escobar, Vitol’s head of LNG, EMEA Gas & Power. Vitol is a strategic investor in Delfin and a buyer of its LNG.
Buy tenders:
Sell tenders:
(Updates with other spot market details after fifth paragraph)