Natural Gas Imports News

The spot price of liquefied natural gas (LNG) is continuing to meander at low levels amid ample supply from major exporters and signs that winter demand is easing in the top-importing regions of Asia and Europe.The spot price for LNG delivered to north Asia ended at $9.60 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) in the week to Feb. 2, up slightly from the seven-month low of $9.50 the previous week.Spot LNG prices have broken their usual seasonal pattern of rising during the northern winter and again in summer…

Every day, nearly 60 fully loaded very large crude-oil carriers sail between the Persian Gulf and Chinese ports, carrying about half of the oil that powers the world's second-largest economy.As the vessels enter the South China Sea, they ply waters increasingly controlled by China's growing military, from the missile batteries and airfields at its bases on disputed islands to its stealthy Type 055 destroyers.But when crossing the Indian Ocean, joined by others headed to China from Africa and Brazil…

Portugal's Sines port is ready to start onward shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which arrives in large tankers and will be transferred to smaller vessels to head to other European states, a government spokesman said on Tuesday.He said a government feasibility study concluded that "with the existing infrastructure and simultaneous operations, Sines could transfer to central and northern Europe up to 10 billion cubic meters (353 billion cu ft) of LNG annually" within six to 12 months.That amount…

China's crude oil imports plunged in October to the lowest since September 2018, as large state-owned refiners withheld purchases because of rising prices while independent refiners were restrained by limited quotas to import.The world's biggest crude oil importer brought in 37.8 million tonnes last month, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Sunday, equivalent to 8.9 million barrels per day (bpd).That is down from 9.99 million bpd in September and 10.02 million bpd in the same period last year.Over the January-October period, crude arrivals totaled 425.06 million tonnes,

China's crude imports surged 25% in July from a year earlier, as massive purchases made while prices collapsed in April arrived and as some shipments delayed at ports in June finally cleared customs.China, the world's top crude oil importer, brought in 51.29 million tonnes of oil last month, equal to 12.08 million barrels per day (bpd), data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Friday.That is higher than the 9.66 million bpd imported in July 2019 but below a previous record of 12.94 million bpd set in June.Crude bought by Chinese bargain hunters in April…

China's crude oil imports rebounded in April from a month earlier on daily basis as refiners ramped up output amid a recovery in fuel demand with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak easing while crude prices crashed on slumping consumption elsewhere.Crude oil arrivals were 40.43 million tonnes last month according to a full data table released by the General Administration of Customs on Thursday, equivalent to 9.84 million barrels per day (bpd).That was more than the 9.68 million bpd imported in March…

According to the preliminary estimate, the consumption of natural gas in China exceeded 27 million cubic meters in 2018, registering a YOY increase of more than 10%, said a report.The growing Chinese economy and stricter environmental protection policies drive the growth of natural gas consumption in China. In 2018, the Chinese government introduced several environmental protection policies to further prevent and control atmospheric pollution and replace coal with natural gas in key areas, which pushed up natural gas consumption in China.The market survey by ResearchAndMarkets shows that in 2018, the consumption of natural gas for power generation…

China has overtaken Japan to become the world's top importer of natural gas, as Beijing's crackdown on pollution boosts its demand for the more environmentally friendly fuel, while the restart of nuclear reactors in Japan reduces its LNG imports.China's total natural gas imports over January to October this year via pipeline and as liquefied natural gas (LNG) were at 72.06 million tonnes, up a third from the same period last year, according to Reuters calculations based on General Administration of Customs data.Japan…

A sure sign that China is struggling with its planned switch to natural gas from coal for winter heating is the spot price of Australian coal climbing back above $100 a tonne. Spot cargoes of thermal coal from Australia's Newcastle port , an Asian benchmark for the fuel used mainly in power plants, rose to $100.65 a tonne on Wednesday, breaching the triple-figure barrier for the first time since Nov. 1 and hitting their highest since mid-September. The price is also 9.2 percent higher than a recent low of $92.20 touched on Nov. 23 as the market responds to signs that Beijing is relaxing its anti-coal stance due to the scarcity of natural gas and the sharply higher prices for the cleaner-burning fuel that is available.

Poland's desire to cut natural gas imports from Russia has led to an "understanding" with the United States to work toward a deal to export liquefied natural gas to its new Baltic Sea terminal, the country's deputy prime minister said on Wednesday. Mateusz Morawiecki, who is also the minister of economic development and finance, said in an interview that discussions with new U.S. "The word agreement is probably premature. Understanding? Absolutely," Morawiecki said as he wrapped up a three-day U.S. visit with stops in Washington, Boston and New York. Poland's liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the Baltic Sea was completed in 2015 and opened last year. It has an annual capacity of 5 billion cubic meters, which the government wants to double in the next few years, Morawiecki said.

Egypt, facing its worst power crisis in decades, on Saturday pledged greater energy cooperation with Greece and Cyprus, a diplomatic move that opened up the possibility of progress in talks to import natural gas from Cyprus. The meeting in Cairo between Anastasiades, Egyptian President Abdelfattah al-Sisi and Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras demonstrated deepening ties between the three states, who are challenging Turkey's efforts to chart gas deposits in areas of the east Mediterrean claimed by Cyprus. The emerging alliance fits Egypt's interests well. Its relations with Turkey quickly soured last year after Sisi toppled President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist movement supported by Turkey's government. Egypt badly needs natural gas imports.

There are many different views on the future of energy supplies, but strong agreement in two areas; over the next 25 years or so population growth and GDP growth in the developing economies, particularly China and India, will drive global energy demand to increase by some 50% and second; while oil’s share of the energy mix will decline, the largest growth will be in consumption of natural gas. Why? Natural gas is an outstanding fuel for power generation, gas-fired power plant has the lowest Capex…

Mexico is talking to half a dozen companies ahead of opening tenders next month to build and supply a liquefied natural gas terminal at the Pacific port of Manzanillo. The Federal Electricity Commission will open the tenders in the first half of April, after spending time discussing details of the LNG project with potential bidders. Analysts expect to see interest in the building tender from global LNG players like Chevron, Repsol-YPF, Sempra Energy and Royal Dutch Shell. For a parallel tender to select suppliers of LNG for the $430 million, 500 million cubic feet per day plant, the CFE is talking to companies in gas-rich nations like Australia, Bolivia and Peru. Analysts see Peru's Camisea gas field well placed to win.

Struggling to meet a growing deficit in its natural gas supplies, Mexico is hoping that regulatory changes will lure new liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects by as early as September. Mexican government officials and interested companies discussed regulatory changes for new LNG terminals, which would help meet gas demands growing at a 10 percent clip annually, the ministry said. The move comes as Mexico fights to keep up with growing needs for the clean-burning fuel from both consumers and gas-fired power generators. Although Mexico has vast reserves of natural gas, the largely state-run industry has failed to invest in the fields to bring them on line for production.

Mexico reportedly will eliminate tariffs on natural gas imports from the U.S. starting on July.