Workers at Ichthys LNG have threatened to escalate strikes starting Thursday after wage negotiations with Inpex failed, raising the concerns over disruptions to roughly 10% of Australia's LNG exports.
Strike threats at Inpex-operated Ichthys LNG terminal from May 27 leave Japan most vulnerable, given its heavy reliance on contracted Australian supply. Around 70% of the LNG from the 9.3 mtpa Ichthys facility in Darwin is sold to Japanese offtakers, notably JERA, Kansai Electric, Kyushu Electric, Osaka Gas, Toho Gas, and Tokyo Gas.
Tokyo Gas, the third-largest Japanese buyer of liquefied natural gas, consolidated its natural gas sales last month and achieved initial success in May in signing up new power customers under Japan’s deregulation of its domestic energy markets.