LNG

Oslo-listed LNG shipowner Awilco launched a subsidiary ALNG Trading backed by a NOK 251.3 million ($26 million) private placement for shareholders and new investors, including a US partner.

Shell has declared force majeure on LNG cargoes it buys from QatarEnergy after Qatar halted output at a 77 mtpa terminal at Ras Laffan and suspended exports. Impacts on supply and term pricing are expected to start from April, while March deliveries largely continue as scheduled.

Shell-led LNG Canada has substantially ramped up production and exports to Asia. In the first 11 days of March, the plant loaded five cargoes with a sixth cargo getting ready to set sail today.

Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi and the Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have ended a long-running dispute over OPL 245, one of Nigeria's biggest deepwater oil and associated gas reserves, unlocking feedgas for the Nigeria LNG project as the  Train 7 expansion nears completion.

OECD Asia is starting to compete with Europe for spot LNG cargoes while South Asia curtails whatever demand it cannot switch.“ Whoever has spare coal capacity is likely to fire that up, so we expect an increase in coal prices,” Kaushal Ramesh, Vice President, Gas & LNG Research, Rystad Energy told LNG Journal.

US-Israeli air strikes against Iran has exposed Asia’s vulnerability to imported LNG and the lack of energy self-sufficiency through domestically generated clean energy. China, India, Japan and South Korea account for 75% of oil and 59% of LNG flows through the chokepoint.

Singapore’s Seatrium Ltd has secured a contract from Turkey’s Karpowership to convert eight LNG carriers into Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRUs), with work set to begin in the third quarter of 2026.

The Group of Seven (G-7) is today discussing a joint release of oil from emergency reserves, coordinated by the International Energy Agency (IEA). The move comes as oil prices skyrocketed more than 25 percent today (March 9) amid fears of a prolonged halt in shipping through the Strait of Homuz, which could cause severe oil and LNG shortages and disrupt supply chains in Europe and Asia.

The Chinese government is urging Iran to ensure safe passage for Qatari LNG carriers and crude oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as Beijing relies heavily on these imports. Shipments have dropped from an average 20 to 24 LNG tankers per day at the beginning of 2026 down to zero.

QatarEnergies is offering 10 LNG carriers for lease in a bid to monetise idle shipping capacity, following the suspension of output at its 77 mtpa liquefaction facility. The 10 LNG carriers on offer for charter, include large Q‑Flex vessels and modern dual‑fuel ships.