LNG prices are witnessing a drop amid low demand and high supply

The spot price of liquefied natural gas (LNG) has remained low, diverging from the typical seasonal trends of increases during the northern winter and summer, with declines in between. This anomaly is attributed to an ample supply from leading exporters and a decrease in demand from Asia and Europe as winter wanes.

Asia, particularly China and India, are experiencing significant growth in LNG import with China continuing to reclaim its status as the world's top importer with substantial increases in December and January. India's imports in December rose 41% year-on-year. However, the spot LNG prices have not been bolstered.

Europe's LNG imports have slightly declined, attributed to a high baseline from the previous year, especially December 2022 being the record month for European LNG imports. This shift in Europe's LNG import strategy emerged following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which cut off natural gas pipeline imports from Russia and led Western European countries to seek independence from Russian energy sources.

The sustained low LNG spot prices are primarily due to strong supplies, particularly from the United States and Australia, which have seen record exports. The U.S. achieved a record in December, making it the largest LNG exporter in 2023, with January's exports still significantly high.

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Australia and Qatar have also reported record export volumes. With the northern winter ending and demand expected to decline, the abundance of supply suggests that spot LNG prices may continue to face pressure, remaining subdued if export levels from major producers persist.

According to the article by Procurement Resource, LNG spot prices have been pluging, defying usual seasonal upticks, due to robust supplies from the U.S., Australia, and Qatar, alongside stable yet not peak demand from Asia and Europe. Despite Asia's increased imports, led by China and India, and Europe's strategic shift post-Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the glut in supply keeps prices low. With winter ending and exports high, prices are likely to remain pressured, reflecting the ongoing supply-demand imbalance.