LNG

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has launched new options on the Japan-Korea Marker (JKM) liquefied natural gas benchmark, LNG balance-of-month freight futures and UK base electricity options.

The September Henry Hub contract settled 8.6 cents higher at $2.759 per million British thermal units on Wednesday, according to CME data. Analysts anticipate further price rises as weather forecasts turned hotter across the southern and western part of the US. Eli Rubin, senior energy analyst at EBW Analytics Group, said peak demand on the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) system could set a new record this week. The grid operator forecast demand would exceed its 91.089-gigawatt (GW) record on each day from August 20 through August 24, with the potential to rise by almost 1 GW above the previous peak later in the period. Houston temperatures are expected to average about 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) this entire week through August 23, roughly 5 F above normal, according to AccuWeather data.

The Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for roughly 20% of global LNG supply, will reopen to shipping on Friday, June 19, after the US and Iran formally sign a peace deal to end the war, US President Donald Trump confirmed. Brent crude futures fell 4.1% in early trading on Monday on the news.

China is preparing to take a symbolic step by launching LNG futures denominated in yuan, rather than US Dollars. Such a listing would give Chinese buyers a domestic pricing and hedging tool at a time when energy markets remain highly exposed to geopolitical risk.

Intercontinental Exchange (IEC) is preparing to extend trading hours for European gas and power futures to match the 22-hour cycles of US and Asian markets. The move enables seamless LNG cross-basin trade and hedging between TTF, Henry Hub, and JKM benchmarks in aligned hours and US$ pricing.

Heatwaves in the eastern part of the U.S. have sent Henry Hub futures soaring as gas-burn stays high at 49.3 bcf/d through July 25, while financial flow risk is skewed to the upside, Energy Aspects finds.