LNG

The arbitrage for U.S. LNG cargoes is now favouring deliveries to Europe over northeast Asia, according to Spark Commodities, as shipping costs and regional price spreads render Atlantic-to-Pacific deliveries uneconomic for the remainder of 2026.

Lithuania’s Ignitis has agreed to buy U.S.-linked LNG from EQT, under a sales and purchase agreement (SPA) covering 10 cargoes delivered each year between 2027 and 2036. The deal marks Ignitis first long-term SPA with a US company and introduces Henry Hub-linked pricing into its procurement portfolio.

Oil prices have plunged on Monday as fresh U.S.-Iran talks raise hopes for a reinstatement of Middle Eastern oil and LNG deliveries. The November Brent contract was seen trading as low as $99.07 barrel at the time of writing, pulling down oil-indexed term LNG prices.

Gasunie has warned the Netherlands will not meet its 115 TWh gas storage target for this winter. Storage is currently just 44-45% full, the lowest since 2009, as utilities shy away from buying LNG at current high prices.

Soaring LNG prices have propelled up Pakistan power generation cost by 38% year-on-year, analysis by local brokerage Arif Habib Ltd shows. The latest cargo, delivered in late July, was purchased from TotalEnergies $21.88/MMBtu – the highest price Pakistan LNG ever paid for a spot cargo.

Record US natural gas production and sustained sub-$3.50/MMBtu Henry Hub prices are set to strengthen the economics of both LNG export expansions and new gas-fired power projects and, even as global demand tightens.

Pakistan LNG Ltd reportedly accepted a lone bid from TotalEnergies on 20 July, at $21.88 per MMBtu for a cargo nominally delivering on 27 to 28 July. It was the seventh spot purchase since QatarEnergy declared force majeure on 4 March, and the fifth procured for a July delivery window. The four before it cleared successively higher, at $16.74, $17.37, $18.23 and $20.70, the last of which was already the most expensive spot cargo Pakistan had bought since 2022. Not all of the purchased cargoes had berthed at the time of writing, according to our data.

High prices are causing a drop in seaborne coal imports to India, though LNG is no alternative due to supply constraints and record prices, leaving Indian utilities struggling to meet soaring electricity demand this summer.

The Japan Korea Marker (JKM) for LNG delivery into northeast Asia for September could exceed $22/MMBtu at the start of this week as shipping disruptions widens and competition for Atlantic Basin cargoes intensifies between Europe and Asia.

State-owned Pakistan LNG has purchased a cargo for late July delivery at nearly $21.88 per million British thermal units on Monday, its highest price since 2022, Bloomberg reported. In August, Pakistan seeks to buy more cargoes.