LNG Contract Trends Q3 17: Long market brings activity and price down

Report summary

This is a new quarterly deliverable from Woodmac tracking recent LNG contracting trends. It details all recent contracts signed and compares the deals against annual activity and pricing trends. We also compare and analyse key buyer and seller trends. The trends so far this year have followed the pattern of the last three years. The major North Asia utilities are not buying and consequently less large long term deals are being signed. The main buying activity is amongst emerging buyers, who invariably prefer contracts linked to oil. And activity to access European regas terminals has continued, led by Qatar. The one bright spark is the hint that some of the big Asian buyers are starting to test the market again. KOGAS’s four MOUs for US LNG - with Port Arthur, ExxonMobil, Lake Charles and Alaska - are encouraging in this regard.