Indian liquefied natural gas imports dropped by 24 percent in May at prices lower than a year ago to reverse April’s brief rebound as domestic gas production was also flat while the start of the monsoon season in June has coincided with higher cargo prices.
Tellurian Inc., the developer of the Driftwood LNG export plant in Louisiana, was present at the India Energy Week conference and exhibition in Bangalore seeking replacement buyers after it cancelled two sales and purchase agreements in 2022 with UK major Shell and global commodities firm Vitol as it formulated a new financing strategy.
Indian LNG imports continued their 2022 decline though at a slower pace as costs in the year-on-year period jumped 65 percent and domestic natural gas output also began to lose some momentum as the nation’s consumption fell.
Indian liquefied natural gas imports have plunged by 19 percent amid a continued 2022 decline in the nation’s LNG deliveries because of a slowing economy, a tighter gas market and the falling value of the rupee against the dollar that makes shipments more expensive.
Indian liquefied natural gas imports in the fiscal year from April 2021 to March 2022 declined by 3.4 percent, though still amounted to 350 cargoes even as costs jumped by 40 percent to almost $12 billion.
Indian liquefied natural gas imports plunged over 20 percent for a second successive month as the costs of LNG shipments soared, though falling volumes were again offset by offshore domestic natural gas pipeline supplies on the East Coast.
Indian liquefied natural gas imports declined amid a surge in cargo prices and the fall was offset by higher domestic natural gas production as the nation slowly recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Indian liquefied natural gas imports last month dropped by more than 17 percent amid a 40 percent surge in cargo prices year-on-year, while domestic natural gas production more than offset the fall in imports.
Swan Energy Ltd., the Indian conglomerate with interests in energy, textiles and real estate, said it was making progress with the nation’s seventh LNG import terminal at Jafrabad port in the West Coast state of Gujarat and expects commissioning in early 2021.
Indian liquefied natural gas monthly imports increased again in September as cargo shipments to Asia rose along with economic activity and as prices also edged higher.