Prices for gas in Europe are mixed due to economic concerns and storage requirements
The Dutch and British wholesale gas price were mixed on Tuesday, as economic concerns and forecasts for milder weather continued to exert pressure. However, Europe's need to replenish storage also provided support. LSEG data shows that the benchmark Dutch front-month contract fell by 0.70 euro to 34.70 euros per Megawatt Hour (MWh) at 0905 GMT. The British day-ahead contracts rose 0.20 pence, to 86.55 p/therm. Meanwhile, the within-day contract fell 1.00 pence down to 86.00 p/therm.
Santos Australia reports 7% decline in first-quarter revenue
Santos, an Australian oil and natural gas company, reported a 7% drop in its first-quarter revenue on Thursday. The fall was attributed to lower crude oil sales and weaker realised prices of domestic gas and LNG contracts linked to oil. Since China's first 15% retaliatory tax shut down U.S. imports, in February, global LNG prices have fallen. Meanwhile, mounting trade tensions are causing concern about demand erosion on major gas markets that could face economic contraction.
LSEG data indicates that Freeport LNG will resume service in Texas after a lightning strike.
Data from the financial firm LSEG revealed that natural gas flows at Freeport LNG's Texas export plant were expected to increase on Tuesday, after a lighting strike on a pipe caused it to close on Monday. Freeport is one the most closely monitored LNG export plants around the world, as the start and end of its operations can cause large price swings on global gas markets. Gas prices in the U.S. typically drop when flows to Freeport decrease due to the lower demand from the export plant for the fuel.
Prices of gas in Europe rise following agreement on energy ceasefire
Dutch and British wholesale prices of gas rose on Wednesday, bouncing back from the previous day, after Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to temporarily halt attacks on energy infrastructure but did not agree to a complete ceasefire. According to LSEG, the Dutch front-month contract had risen by 1.41 euros at 42.13 Euros per Megawatt Hour (MWh) as of 0922 GMT. The May contract also rose by 2.08 Euros to 42.60 Euros/MWh. The day-ahead contract in Britain was 3.25 pence more expensive at 103.25 cents per therm.
French up and German down on mixed weather signals
On Wednesday, European power prices took different directions. Germany's fell due to higher wind generation while France's rose along with increased demand caused by the colder weather. The German power price for the day ahead fell by 2.8% at 0900 GMT to 122.8 Euros ($134.10) per Megawatt Hour. The French baseload rate for the day ahead was up 6.2% to 116.3 euros/MWh. LSEG data indicated that Germany expected wind output to increase to 5.9 gigawatts on Thursday. This is an increase of 600 megawatts.
As demand falls and wind output varies, the market is lulled.
The market untraded the German and French power prices for Sunday on Friday, as it weighed an anticipated rise in German wind power and a decline in French output against general drops in demand. LSEG data shows that the German and French baseload power prices for Monday were not traded by 0934 GMT. LSEG data indicated that the German wind output is expected to increase by 8 gigawatts to 14.6 GW while France's was predicted to drop by 1.3 GW and 2.9 GW.
Woodside Energy's profit for the year is at its lowest level in three years due to low oil and gas prices
Woodside Energy, a major oil and gas company, reported on Tuesday its lowest annual profit in the last three years, due to lower realized prices. However, it maintained its production forecast for 2025, based on expectations that demand for liquefied gas will be strong. The energy markets were affected by geopolitical events that occurred in the past year. Slowing global growth, and a softening of demand from China's top consumer also pushed down commodity prices.
Freeport LNG restores Quintana Island Plant after Outage
Freeport LNG announced on Monday that its plant in Quintana, Texas has resumed full operation following an outage caused by unstable electricity from its supplier Center Point Energy last week. Last Tuesday, the third largest U.S. supplier of super-cooled gas halted its liquefaction operations after announcing that it had intermittent power outages following winter storm Enzo and would be offline until transmission conditions stabilised.
Freeport LNG plant in Texas is on track to end outage due to increased natgas flow
Data from LSEG showed that the natural gas flow to Freeport LNG’s export facility in Texas was set to increase on Thursday, after a power outage during a winterstorm forced it to close on Tuesday. Freeport is among the most closely monitored LNG export plants around the world, as the start-up or halting its operations can cause large price swings on global gas markets. Gas prices in the U.S. typically drop when flows to Freeport decrease due to the lower demand from the export plant for the fuel.
Freeport LNG plant in Texas will remain closed until the power supply stabilises
Freeport LNG, a U.S. company that exports liquefied gas, said Wednesday it had closed its Texas plant on Jan. 21, due to an electrical problem caused by a winter storm. It will remain shut until the power supply is stabilized. CenterPoint Energy officials in the United States were not immediately available to comment. CenterPoint released a statement on Tuesday stating that more than 99.9% customers in the Greater Houston Area still have power and that crews continue to respond to scattered outages.
US NatGas Demand Could Hit Record High
U.S. spot natural gas and power prices soared to multi-year highs in several parts of the country with extreme cold expected to boost gas demand to a daily record high on Tuesday.Extreme weather has created havoc for power and gas markets in recent years as demand has come close to outpacing supply.In February 2021, a freeze in Texas killed more than 200 people and left millions without power, water and heat for days after extreme cold caused gas supplies to drop by freezing oil and gas infrastructure…
IEA: Global gas markets will remain tight due to rising demand
LONDON (Jan. 21) - The global natural gas market will remain tight in 2019 as the demand for gas increases and production grows slower than it did before the energy crises of 2022 and 2020-2021. This was revealed by a report released on Tuesday by the International Energy Agency. Political factors have exacerbated the volatility of gas prices, including the uncertainty surrounding the energy policy of U.S. president Donald Trump and possible disruptions of Middle Eastern supply.
US natgas flow to Freeport LNG Export Plant in Texas reduced – LSEG data
According to data provided by financial firm LSEG, the amount of natural gases flowing to Freeport LNG’s Texas export plant was on course to reach a new one-month record low on Monday. Freeport LNG has one of the highest levels of attention in the world, as the start-up and shutdown of its operation can cause huge price swings on global gas markets. U.S. Gas Futures have turned negative in part due to the reduction in Freeport, after rising about 10% earlier in session to a 2-year high.
Australia's Competition Regulator flags gas import requirements for the East Coast
The Australian Competition Regulator said that the east coast of Australia is likely to experience a gas shortage by 2027, which could lead to imports. It cited its gas inquiry report. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission stated that the report found the development of new production and supporting infrastructure for gas has not kept up with the increasing demand. It is anticipated that the east coast gas market will…
Spot prices fall on forecast of strong wind supply
The European spot electricity prices fell on Wednesday as the wind supply is expected to increase throughout the region and demand to fall in France due to warmer temperatures. LSEG data show that the German baseload day-ahead power dropped 38.2% at 0923 GMT to 57.75 Euros per Megawatt Hour (MWh). LSEG data shows that the equivalent French contract is down by 40.5%, at 59.5 Euro/MWh. According to LSEG analyst Francisco Gaspar Machado, the outlook for Wednesday is negative due to an increased supply of wind power in Germany.
After cutting debt, Vallourec pays first dividend after 10 years
French steel tube maker Vallourec announced on Friday that it will pay its first dividend for 10 years, after further reducing its debt and completing its financial restructuring plan. However, the group's shares fell 3% at 0805 GMT after it reported a decline in its third quarter earnings. The group's net debt was 240 million euros (253.42 millions) on Sept. 30. This is down from 1.49 billion euro two years earlier. It confirmed that it would reach zero net by 2025. He said that this will be a regular return for investors.
Flexible LNG supply is needed to meet the variable demand for electricity.
Industry executives stated on Tuesday that Japan and other major LNG buyers want more flexibility to adjust to changing power demands. Qatar and other LNG suppliers prefer long-term agreements with buyers, which can last for decades. This is to secure funding for multi-billion-dollar projects. In recent years, with more producers entering into the global market, buyers have sought shorter-term contracts that allow them to resell their cargoes if demand is low.
Flexible LNG supply is needed to meet the variable demand for electricity.
Industry executives stated on Tuesday that Japan and other major LNG buyers want more flexibility to adjust to changing power demands. Qatar and other LNG suppliers prefer long-term agreements with buyers, which can last for decades. This is to secure funding for multi-billion-dollar projects. In recent years, with more producers entering into the global market, buyers have sought shorter-term contracts that allow them to resell their cargoes if demand is low.
B.Grimm Power, Thailand's B.Grimm Power, seeks LNG supply for short- and long-term periods
A company executive revealed at the Asia Gas Markets Conference on Tuesday that B.Grimm Power, Thailand's largest power firm, is looking to purchase five to seven cargoes of liquefied gas for delivery between 2025 and 2026. Andrew Kirk, B.Grimm Power's head of LNG, has said that the company is looking to secure a long-term LNG deal of up to one million tons after these initial short term cargoes. He said that the company's gas fired power plants would be able to supply its own needs by 2028.
Prices for gas in Europe are lower due to a revised forecast but concerns about supply persist.
The Dutch and British wholesale gas prices fell slightly on Tuesday morning due to small changes in weather forecasts. They had risen more than 2% on Monday, mainly because of colder forecasts. LSEG data shows that the benchmark front-month contract for the Dutch TTF hub fell by 0.09 euros to 39.90 Euro per megawatt hour at 0756 GMT. The Dutch day-ahead contracts was down by 0.21 euros at 39.67 Euro/MWh. The day-ahead contract in the British market was down by 0.10 pence…
