Charter rates steady
July 30 (LNGJ) - LNG carrier charter rate discussions have increased in the West of Suez market as the fixing window progresses further into September. Brokers said that while traders argue that the economics of the arbitrage window are unsupportive of freight at such high levels, the available shipping still seems to be in short supply when considering the balance of the fleet across the East and West of Suez markets.
Charter rates for LNG carriers in the spot market were steady over the past week. Rates were quoted at an average of between $35,000 per day and $37,000 per day West of Suez and at rates of between $32,000 per day and $34,000 per day East of Suez for vessels of between 155,000-165,000 cubic metres capacity, according to various brokers. One-year time charters for the most modern vessels were seen at rates of around $44,000 per day.
