Slowdown dims outlook for China’s LNG terminals

摘要

China’s slowing gas demand growth is an unwelcome development for state-controlled energy firms whose LNG import terminals already struggle to compete with cheaper domestic gas supplies. Chinese apparent natural gas demand - production plus net imports - slowed in the first 10 months of this year compared with the same period in 2013. Demand of 145bn m~3 was up by 9pc against January-October a year earlier, but marks a one percentage point slowdown in growth. China’s gas demand is highly seasonal, peaking in the November- January winter, but the domestic market is well supplied and unlikely to face the shortages of previous years.