Low Gas Prices News

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipping hasn’t been able to avoid the negative impact of COVID-19 as gas demand fell during the first quarter of 2020.The residential sector recorded the largest drop in consumption this year compared to 2019 which wasn’t helped by the mild winter seen in the US. The shut-downs of major economies and more specifically shut-ins of cargoes due to the historically low gas prices means we have basically witnessed demand destruction.LNG rates have fallen since the beginning of the year with the one-year time charter dropping by 80%.

During the fourth quarter of 2019, spot LNG freight rates continued to strengthen with average reported headline rates for MEGI/X-DF LNG carriers increasing by 66% from $74,800 per day to $123,800 per day, according to Flex LNG.Rates increased steadily due to higher demand preparing for winter in Northern Asia, as well as continued floating storage, Flex LNG said.Trading patterns and LNG pricing however, continue to favor Europe as the main destination for incremental uncommitted LNG volumes due to the low spread in gas prices between Asia and Europe, as well as greater infrastructure capacity in Europe for regasification and storage.According to industry sources…

Norwegian LNG carrier owner Flex LNG posted a net income of USD 0.5 million for the third quarter of this year, compared to a net loss of $3.9 million for the second quarter 2019.It  reported revenues of $29.8 million for the third quarter 2019, compared to $19.0 million for the second quarter 2019.Øystein M Kalleklev, CEO of Flex LNG Management AS, said: “In line with our expectations, the freight market has become increasingly tighter in the second half of 2019 resulting in much more favorable market conditions despite low gas prices. Flex LNG has been very well positioned for the stronger market with ships available in the spot market…

The exceptional growth in LNG trade recorded in the first half of the 2019 continued in Q3, says Awilco LNG Group, the Norwegian based fully integrated pure play LNG transportation provider.According to Fearnleys LNG total LNG trade is up about 13 % in the first nine months of the year vs last year. In line with normal seasonal patterns gas prices inched upwards in Q3 but remained historically low due to increased production and muted demand in the Far East.Due to a relatively mild winter reducing gas demand for power generation and higher nuclear power generation in Japan and South Korea, LNG imports decreased by 8 and 9 % y-o-y Jan-Sept respectively…

GasLog, an international owner, operator and manager of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, is predicting a tighter LNG shipping market, as increasing United States LNG output combines with a seasonal uptick in demand for gas, resulting in rising demand for shipping and higher utilization of the global fleet.These underlying trends in the LNG commodity and shipping markets point towards a structurally tighter market through 2020 and into 2021.As of October 28, 2019, the LNG fleet and orderbook (excluding floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) and vessels with capacity below 100,000 cbm) stood at 507 and 110 vessels, respectively…

In spite of low gas prices due to ample LNG supply growth and muted demand so far in 2019 spot shipping rates have gradually increased over the last few months and are currently about USD 70,000 per day on average, said Awilco LNG Group.According to Norwegian LNG transportation provider, European gas storage nearing full capacity coupled with a consistent contango across the LNG price curves for contracts delivering over the rest of the year supports sending US LNG to Asia.A handful of vessels have already been employed on storage plays over the next few months. Consolidation discussions with other ship owners are still ongoing, however…

The emergence of US liquefied natural gas as a competitive alternative for European and Asian customers, combined with an oversupplied market, should drive more convergence between natural gas prices at major hubs and weaken the link between gas and oil prices, Fitch Ratings says. The first shipment of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Cheniere Energy's Sabine Pass facility to Europe arrived in Portugal at the end of April. It is unclear how many more shipments will arrive in Europe in the near term…

The International Energy Agency (IEA) says prospects for British Columbia’s nascent LNG sector export projects have ‘darkened’ and deferrals are likely. British Columbia faces intense competition from the rest of the world in developing its liquefied natural gas industry in part because projects will not be viable at today's low gas prices, IEA says. In a five-year outlook on global demand for natural gas, the Paris-based agency throws cold water on the B.C. government’s hopes of being home to three liquefied natural gas projects by 2020. Procuring the required skilled labour is more difficult and costlier in this environment. The IEA points to the decline in Asian demand as consumers there found alternatives to pricey LNG…

Clean Energy Pipeline, the online daily financial news and data service dedicated to the clean energy sector, released its preliminary analysis of venture capital, private equity, project finance, mergers and acquisitions and public markets activity during 4Q13 and 2013. New investment in the global clean energy sector totalled $58.2 billion in 4Q13, a 15% increase on the $50.7 billion invested in 3Q13 but a 21% decrease on the $74.1 billion recorded in the corresponding period in 2012. Despite the quarterly increase, total investment throughout 2013 decreased 20% year-on-year to $212 billion. Total investment in the global clean energy sector has now fallen for two consecutive years.