MARKET EYE: Asian LNG Looks West

摘要

Lackluster regional demand for LNG is prompting Asian sellers starting to pushing their supplies into the West - although Asia's intake of Atlantic Basin LNG held up at remarkably high levels at least through January Australia's North West Shelf (NWS), which last September started up its 4.4 million metric ton per year Train 5 - from which little had been sold on a long-term basis - will have up to 1.6 million tons, or around 26 cargoes, of incremental LNG in 2009 if the Woodside-operated facility runs at full capacity (IOD Sep.3,p9). A trading source says NWS will be tendering up to eight of those cargoes in Europe starting in April, adding that two have already been sold into France, one priced at a 20φ discount to the UK's National Balancing Point (NBP) on a delivered basis.