LNG

Petronas LNG has signed a head of agreement with Hokuriku Electric to negotiate the renewal of an LNG supply deal for up to 0.54 mtpa for a decade starting 2028. The HoA underscores Japan’s reliance on LNG for power generation.

Cambodia is adhering to its plan to begin LNG imports in 2027, with the government’s timeline anchored by the 900 MW Botum Sakor LNG-fired power project. The plant’s first 450 MW unit is scheduled to start operation in April 2027, followed by a second unit in December.

The decade of structurally cheap US gas is drawing to a close, with Henry Hub prices forecast to rise towards $5 per MMBtu by 2035 from below $3 per MMBtu, as LNG demand growth tightens domestic balances, Wood Mackenzie said.

Egypt is seeking to import more LNG as electricity demand this summer is forecast to rise 8% above last year’s peak of 40 Gigawatt. Regasification capacity has been maximised, while the Damietta LNG export terminal gets used to store cargoes for emergency use.

Nuclear restarts and coal has displaced LNG in the South Korean power mix as Qatari supply fell away, allowing utilities to defer procurement rather than chase spot cargoes priced above $20 per MMBtu. As a result, LNG’s share in Korean power generation fell to an estimated 22–24 percent in H1-2026, down from roughly 26–28 percent in H1 2025.

Weaker industrial activity and high LNG prices have slowed global gas demand markedly in 2025, the International Energy Agency (IEA) finds. Gas demand in the power sector grow by less than 1%, due to high spot LNG prices, improved nuclear availability in Asia and continued renewables growth.

Freeport LNG Development, majority-owned by founder and CEO Michael Smith, has ramped down operations in the wake of Winter Storm Uri and is considering rescheduling cargoes to long-term buyers to accommodate a spike in US gas demand since the onset of this week’s massive winter storm.

Energy import-dependent Japan has again lowered LNG-burn for power generation to the lowest levels in a decade due to high fuel prices and robust recovery of nuclear baseload power. Japan’s nuclear reactors generated the highest electricity output since the 2011 Fukushima disaster while gas-fired generation fell 25% in the first half this year.

Saudi Aramco is preparing to tap the giant Jafurah shale gas basin in a bid to reduce oil dependence, positioning the Kingdom as a potential LNG exporter. Aramco CEO Amin Nasser singled out the field’s “huge” growth potential, though analysts doubt the Saudi gas market can absorb all the extra supply.

US pipeline gas exports to Mexico have surged, reaching a record 7.5 Bcf/d in May, as emerging LNG feedgas demand tightens cross-border supply. More than 70% of exported US gas to Mexico is used for power generation, but this share will shift once Fast LNG Altamira 2 and Energía Costa Azul begin operations.