據天然氣加工新聞網5月12日報道，亞洲LNG現貨價格周五連續第三周下跌，跌至近兩年最低水平，由于該地區主要進口國需求疲弱，且庫存居高不下。

據業內消息人士估計，6月份運往東北亞的液化天然氣平均價格今年下跌了近三分之二，跌至10.50美元/百萬英熱單位，較前一周下降4.5%，是自2021年5月底以來的最低水平。

7月交貨的平均價格估計為10.67美元/百萬英熱單位。

盡管預測未來幾周將出現高溫天氣，但韓國和日本公用事業的高庫存水平繼續限制需求。據咨詢公司雷斯塔能源表示，截至4月23日，日本主要電力公司的液化天然氣庫存為256萬噸，而2022年4月下旬為196萬噸，2023年4月下旬的五年平均水平為195萬噸。

某大宗商品定價機構的液化天然氣定價主管古德（Samuel Good）表示，據預測，東京和首爾在未來幾周內都將出現短暫的高溫天氣，但這并沒有刺激液化天然氣的大量購買，而亞洲南部地區的氣溫在5月下旬之前都將持續低于平均水平。

大西洋液化天然氣公司執行主編里德（Allen Reed）表示，在歐洲，5月11日，標普全球商品觀察評估了6月份交貨的西北歐（NWE）每日液化天然氣基準價格，以目的港船上交貨價（DES）為基礎，為9.739美元/百萬英熱單位，與TTF荷蘭天然氣中心6月份天然氣價格相比有1.375美元/百萬英熱單位的折扣。上周是自2021年6月以來，天然氣價格首次跌破10美元/百萬英熱單位。由于大西洋和亞太盆地的購買力不溫不火，市場一直疲軟。這與歐洲溫和的天氣和強勁的天然氣儲存水平相結合。

他稱，然而，本周歐洲市場重新燃起一些購買興趣，這縮小了液化天然氣市場對天然氣市場的折扣，這使西北歐天然氣和液化天然氣之間的價差降至3月中旬以來的最低水平。

在液化天然氣運費方面，研究機構Spark Commodities的分析師Edward Armitage表示，太平洋現貨運費本周走軟，周五跌至4.55萬美元/天，為2022年夏季以來的最低水平。

周五，大西洋運費跌至每天4萬美元。

郝芬 譯自 天然氣加工新聞網

原文如下:

Asian spot LNG prices fall for third straight week to near 2-yr low

Asian spot LNG prices fell for the third straight week on Friday to the lowest level in nearly two years due to weak demand from top regional importers and as inventories remained high.

The average LNG price for June delivery into northeast Asia, which has fallen nearly two-thirds this year, slumped to $10.50 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), industry sources estimated, a 4.5% fall from the previous week and the lowest level since end-May 2021.

The average price for July delivery was estimated at $10.67/mmBtu.

High inventory levels at South Korean and Japanese utilities continue to cap demand, despite forecasts of high temperatures in the coming weeks. As of April 23, major Japanese power utilities held 2.56 million tons of LNG in storage, versus 1.96 million tons in late April 2022, and the five-year average of 1.95 million tons in late April 2023, according to consultancy Rystad Energy.

"Tokyo and Seoul have each been forecast to see a brief spell of high temperatures in the coming couple of weeks, but this has not spurred any significant LNG purchasing, while southern Asia broadly appears set to keep seeing below-average temperatures until the second half of May," said Samuel Good, head of LNG pricing at commodity pricing agency.

In Europe, S&P Global Commodity Insights assessed its daily Northwest Europe (NWE) LNG Marker price benchmark for cargoes delivered in June on an ex-ship (DES) basis at $9.739/mmBtu on May 11, a discount of $1.375/mmBtu to the June gas price at the TTF Dutch gas hub, said Allen Reed, managing editor, Atlantic LNG.

"The past week has been the first stretch of sub $10/mmBtu prices since June 2021. The market has been weak due to tepid buying in both the Atlantic and Asia-Pacific basins. This has combined with mild European weather and strong European gas storage levels," Reed said.

"However, there was some renewed buying interest in Europe this week that has narrowed the discount of the LNG market to the natural gas market," he said, which brought the Northwest Europe spread between natural gas and LNG to their narrowest point since mid-March.

On LNG freight, Pacific spot rates softened this week, falling to $45,500 per day on Friday, its lowest levels since the summer of 2022, said Edward Armitage, an analyst at Spark Commodities.

Atlantic rates fell to $40,000 per day on Friday.