Japan's LNG Buyers Cope

摘要

After climbing steadily this summer, Asian LNG prices are now slipping on diminishing Japanese demand for spot winter cargoes (p7). The dwindling appetite signals that the country's utilities believe they have enough gas and other fuel to meet electricity demand this winter without the mandatory power cuts seen over the summer - even though Japanese nuclear plant utilization continues to shrink, with just eight of 54 installed reactors working, and no indication as to when shut units might reopen.