LNG

Indian LNG imports dropped 5.8 percent in October after six straight month of increases as shipments were received from nations such as Qatar, Angola and Nigeria, while the costs of the cargoes continued to rise for the Asian nation and amounted to about $900 million last month.

While LNG imports to Japan rose last month to 6.53 million tonnes, the thermal coal purchases by the world’s largest LNG importer were even higher at 9.19 million tonnes, raising concerns among Japanese officials that coal will lead to embarrassment on the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse-gas emissions.

US pipeline company Kinder Morgan and two equity funds are making progress on receiving permits to transform the existing Gulf LNG import terminal in Pascagoula in Mississippi into an export plant.

Ten liquefied natural gas carriers from Australia, the Middle East and Africa are heading for Chinese import terminals and another dozen are waiting offshore for orders and destinations in the nation’s network of 20 regasification facilities as winter shipments to China gather pace.