Singapore LNG spot cargo prices dropped as excess volumes and lower seasonal demand led to the highest price quoted being under US$5.500 per million British thermal units for the first half of August for North Asia.
The Singapore average index for July dropped to US$5.084 per MMBtu from last week’s June average of US$5.306 per MMBtu.
Singapore’s latest LNG indices released on May 16 included a price of US$5.005 per MMBtu for the second half of June and US$5.052 per MMBtu for the first half of July.
The surplus in global LNG supplies continued to put downward pressure on prices in the Northern Hemisphere summer market as crude oil prices stayed solid on the week at around $71 per barrel.
Cargo prices for the second half of July were at US$5.116 and were highest for the first half of August at US$5.176.
The Sling is an index series for LNG developed by the Singapore Exchange (SGX) and its subsidiary Energy Market Company (EMC).
It is a spot index for cargoes “on the waters in the vicinity of Singapore which could go into any port” and based on cargo sizes of 135,000 cubic metres capacity to 175,000 cubic metres capacity.
The North Asia price fell to a July average of US$5.354 per MMBtu versus last week’s June average of US$5.555 per MMBtu.
North Asia cargoes for the second half of June were at US$5.245 per MMBtu, before rising for the first half of July to US$5.310 per MMBtu, then moving higher to US$5.380 for the second half of July.
The first half of August price for the North Asia market was US$5.475 per MMBtu, the highest on the board.
The North Asia prices are for delivery ex-ship (DES) to all ports in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China.
The Dubai-Kuwait-India Sling index is assessed in collaboration with London-based, inter-dealer global brokerage Tullett Prebon for regional cargoes shipped to India and the Middle East and averaged US$5.192 per MMBtu for July, much lower than last week’s June average of US$5.400 per MMBtu.
The DKI index, based on a cargo of between 138,000 cubic metres capacity and 170,000 cubic metres, is seen in the second half of June at US$5.113 per MMBtu before edging higher to US$5.167 per MMBtu for the first half of July.
The price for the second half of July was at US$5.217 per MMBtu and the highest for the region was the first half of August price of US$5.320 per MMBtu.
The SGX LNG Index Group (Sling) is an initiative by SGX and EMC for spot LNG price discovery.
It is a benchmark based on assessments of LNG cargo value by market participants. They provide assessments based on the value of an LNG cargo at a specific location for delivery.
The Sling is based on participants submitting assessments to determine an index value.
“The participant pool consists of a broad group of market players to ensure that any Sling Assessment is as representative of actual market conditions as possible,” says the SGX, while pointing out that the participant is kept confidential at all times.
The SGX-EMC LNG prices include both lean and rich cargoes.
