LNG Shipping Rates to Remain Under Pressure in 2016

LNG vessel fleet growth is forecast to double this year to 12 percent, compared to 6 percent in 2015. Meanwhile, as new sources of LNG supply kick in from projects coming online in Australia, demand for spot cargoes from the Middle East are expected to weaken which will adversely affect overall tonne mile demand for LNG shipping.

The final quarter of 2015 was disappointing for LNG shipowners, despite a seasonal uplift in demand for winter fuels. Drewry estimates that average spot rates in the quarter were $30,000 per day for East of Suez shipments, which was unchanged from the third quarter and 57 percent down on the previous year. The pressure on rates was principally due to oversupply of vessel capacity, as LNG trade actually grew over this period thanks to new LNG plants coming online. Drewry estimates that total fourth quarter trade totalled 61 million tonnes, up 6 percent quarter-on-quarter, and accounted for 88 percent of global liquefaction capacity.

Spot vessel availability remained high throughout the quarter which kept rates from rising. Drewry’s research indicates that there was an excess supply of 38 vessels in the final quarter, three vessels higher than in the third quarter. Vessel oversupply was exacerbated by the fact that four new ships joined the fleet during the fourth quarter. In the year ahead, vessel deliveries are expected to accelerate to 53 while demolitions will be limited to just three.

“Vessel oversupply is the key problem for LNG shipping in 2016,” said Shresth Sharma, Drewry’s lead LNG shipping analyst. “Meanwhile, growing LNG supply in Asia-Pacific will reduce the dependency of Asian buyers on Middle Eastern supply which will weigh on tonne mile demand, diminishing overall LNG shipping demand. Hence, we see no let-up in vessel overcapacity, which will continue to put pressure on earnings through 2016.”