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日本海事新聞ニュース Japan Maritime Daily Jan 15, 2021 (Fri)

The spot market for LNG carriers is tight

Difficult to respond to rapid increase in demand

　The supply and demand of the spot and short-term charter ships for LNG (liquefied natural gas) carr ・・・続きはログインして下さいnext %E3%80%80The+supply+and+demand+of+the+spot+and+short-term+charter+ships+for+LNG+%28liquefied+natural+gas%29+carriers+ships+is+tight.+With+the+rapid+increase+in+heating+demand+in+Asia+in+the+midwinter%2C+long-distance+trade+between+the+U.S.+loaded+and+the+Far+East+unloaded+is+expanding.+Congestion+at+the+Panama+Canal+and+strict+loading+deadlines+for+US+LNG+also+added+to+the+tightness.+In+the+Atlantic%2C+a+very+high+daily+contract+in+the+%24300%2C000+%28about+35+million+yen%29+range+was+reported+this+week.+The+reason+behind+the+sharp+rise+is+that+the+market+structure+for+LNG+carriers+is+such+that+there+is+little+short-term+and+spot+shipping+capacity%2C+and+there+are+only+about+20+free-running+vessels+at+present.+Therefore%2C+there+is+a+limitation+of+a+%E2%80%9Cshallow-bottomed+market%E2%80%9C+%28market+officials%29+that+is+difficult+to+respond+to+a+rapid+increase+in+demand.%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CThe+shallowness+of+the+bottom+of+the+LNG+carrier+market+has+been+revealed.+The+shippers+may+have+reaffirmed+that+there+is+a+risk+that+they+will+not+be+able+to+spot+or+charter+even+if+they+pays.+%E2%80%9C%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80LNG+carrier+market+officials+point+this+out.%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80The+total+number+of+large+LNG+carriers+in+the+world+is+570.+Most+of+them+are+engaged+in+medium+to+long-term+contracts%2C+and+it+is+estimated+that+there+are+about+20+LNG+carriers+currently+operating+freely+in+the+charter+market.+According+to+broker+information%2C+as+of+the+end+of+last+year%2C+there+was+only+one+LNG+carrier+in+the+world+that+could+be+chartered.%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80The+price+of+LNG+carriers+is+20+billion+yen%2C+which+is+the+highest+among+general+merchant+ships%2C+and+it+is+difficult+for+shipping+companies+to+maintain+them+without+a+medium+to+long-term+charter+contract.+This+is+because+the+charter+market+conditions+during+the+non-demand+season+in+summer+are+often+below+the+break-even+point%2C+and+investment+risk+is+large.%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80At+the+moment%2C+spot+ships+are+running+out+in+the+Atlantic+Ocean.+A+daily+contract+of+%24+350%2C000+%28including+ballast+costs%29+was+reported+on+the+US-Europe+short-term+route%2C+soaring+to+nearly+10+times+the+%24+30%2C000-40%2C000+market+price+last+summer.+There+is+also+information+that+the+FSRU+%28Floating+Storage+and+Regasification+Unit%29+has+been+diverted+to+sea+transportation+on+the+US-Far+East+route.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%96%A0+From+the+United+States+to+the+Far+East%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80Japanese+electric+power+and+gas+companies+are+now+facing+an+unexpected+cold+wave+and+are+rushing+to+procure+LNG+while+the+nuclear+power+plant+is+shut+down.+China+also+seems+to+be+aggressively+procuring+LNG+in+reaction+to+the+reduction+in+Australian+coal+imports+against+the+backdrop+of+political+conflict.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80The+United+States+is+the+main+source+of+additional+procurement.+Since+last+summer%2C+a+series+of+defects+have+occurred+at+LNG+production+plants+in+Scandinavia+and+Australia%2C+and+the+presence+of+the+United+States+has+improved.+As+LNG+prices+soar+in+the+Asian+market+in+the+midwinter%2C+cheap+US+cargo+movements+to+the+Far+East+are+rapidly+increasing.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80For+export+of+LNG+produced+in+the+United+States%2C+there+are+many+%E2%80%9Ctolling+agreements%E2%80%9C+in+which+the+liquefaction+processing+of+natural+gas+is+outsourced+to+a+local+business+operator%2C+and+strict+adherence+to+the+shipping+date+is+required.+As+of+the+beginning+of+the+year%2C+around+30+LNG+carriers+were+on+standby+off+the+coast+of+the+United+States+to+ensure+that+they+could+take+delivery+of+LNG%2C+contributing+to+the+tight+supply+and+demand+situation+in+the+Atlantic.%3Cbr%3E++%E2%96%A0+Changes+in+fleet+management%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CWe+are+paying+attention+to+whether+it+will+be+an+opportunity+for+charterers+to+change+the+way+they+hold+their+ships.%E2%80%9C%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80Market+officials+say+so+about+the+impact+of+the+recent+surge+in+market+prices+for+spot+vessels.%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80Due+to+the+increase+in+production+of+US+LNG+with+no+destination+restrictions%2C+trading+based+on+spot+and+short-term+trading+has+expanded+in+the+LNG+market+in+recent+years.+On+the+other+hand%2C+sea+transport+is+limited+to+Ship+without+specific+contract%2C+and+there+are+still+inflexible+imbalances.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80Under+these+circumstances%2C+Western+international+oil+majors+and+European+traders%2C+who+are+called+%E2%80%9Cportfolio+players%2C%E2%80%9C+have+abundant+in-house+LNG+carrier+fleets+and+pursue+optimization+of+trading+and+fleet+operations.+JERA%2C+the+largest+domestic+power+generation+company%2C+has+also+announced+a+policy+to+expand+its+fleet.%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80Japanese+carrier+official+said%2C+%E2%80%9CThere+is+a+possibility+that+other+electric+power+companies+and+gas+companies+will+also+move+to+secure+more+reserve+capacity+for+the+LNG+carrier+than+before%2C%E2%80%9C+and+they+will+closely+watch+the+future+of+charterer+needs.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EDisclaimer%3A+The+English+translations+provided+through+this+service+are+the+result+of+translations+made+by+The+Japan+Maritime+Daily+or+automatically+and+mechanically+translated+by+The+Japan+Maritime+Daily+using+an+automated+translation+system+provided+by+a+third+party+after+certain+processing+of+the+Japanese+content+licensed+by+the+third+party.+In+terms+of+the+English+translation%2C+The+Japan+Maritime+Daily+and+MarineNet+Co.%2C+Ltd.+make+no+warranty+or+burden+of+any+kind%2C+express+or+implied%2C+including+its+accuracy%2C+reliability%2C+validity+or+fitness+for+a+particular+purpose.+MarineNet+Users+should+fully+understand+that+this+service+uses+an+automated+translation+system+that+automatically+and+mechanically+recognizes+and+analyzes+information+and+produces+results.+The+users+should+understand+the+above+conditions+before+using+this+service.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E5%85%8D%E8%B2%AC%E4%BA%8B%E9%A0%85%EF%BC%9A%E3%81%93%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%82%B9%E3%82%92%E4%BB%8B%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E6%8F%90%E4%BE%9B%E3%81%95%E3%82%8C%E3%82%8B%E8%8B%B1%E8%A8%B3%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E6%B5%B7%E4%BA%8B%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E3%81%8C%E4%BD%9C%E6%88%90%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E3%81%8B%E3%80%81%E5%8F%88%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%89%E8%80%85%E3%81%8B%E3%82%89%E4%BD%BF%E7%94%A8%E8%A8%B1%E8%AB%BE%E3%82%92%E5%8F%97%E3%81%91%E3%81%9F%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E8%AA%9E%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%86%E3%83%B3%E3%83%84%E3%82%92%E3%80%81%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E6%B5%B7%E4%BA%8B%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E3%81%8C%E4%B8%80%E5%AE%9A%E3%81%AE%E5%87%A6%E7%90%86%E3%82%92%E8%A1%8C%E3%81%A3%E3%81%9F%E4%B8%8A%E3%81%A7%E3%80%81%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%89%E8%80%85%E3%81%8C%E6%8F%90%E4%BE%9B%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%BF%BB%E8%A8%B3%E3%82%B7%E3%82%B9%E3%83%86%E3%83%A0%E3%82%92%E5%88%A9%E7%94%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%9A%84%E3%83%BB%E6%A9%9F%E6%A2%B0%E7%9A%84%E3%81%AB%E7%BF%BB%E8%A8%B3%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F%E7%B5%90%E6%9E%9C%E3%81%A7%E3%81%82%E3%82%8A%E3%80%81%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E6%B5%B7%E4%BA%8B%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E3%80%81%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%8D%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E5%BD%93%E8%A9%B2%E8%8B%B1%E8%A8%B3%E3%81%AB%E9%96%A2%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E3%80%81%E3%81%9D%E3%81%AE%E6%AD%A3%E7%A2%BA%E6%80%A7%E3%80%81%E4%BF%A1%E9%A0%BC%E6%80%A7%E3%80%81%E5%A6%A5%E5%BD%93%E6%80%A7%E5%8F%8A%E3%81%B3%E7%89%B9%E5%AE%9A%E7%9B%AE%E7%9A%84%E3%81%B8%E3%81%AE%E9%81%A9%E5%90%88%E6%80%A7%E3%82%92%E5%90%AB%E3%82%81%E3%80%81%E6%98%8E%E7%A4%BA%E5%8F%88%E3%81%AF%E9%BB%99%E7%A4%BA%E3%81%AB%E3%82%82%E3%80%81%E3%81%84%E3%81%8B%E3%81%AA%E3%82%8B%E4%BF%9D%E8%A8%BC%E3%82%82%E3%81%97%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93%E3%80%82%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%8D%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%E3%83%A6%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B6%E3%83%BC%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E3%81%93%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%82%B9%E3%81%8C%E3%80%81%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%9A%84%E3%81%8B%E3%81%A4%E6%A9%9F%E6%A2%B0%E7%9A%84%E3%81%AB%E6%83%85%E5%A0%B1%E3%82%92%E8%AA%8D%E8%AD%98%E3%83%BB%E5%88%86%E6%9E%90%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E7%B5%90%E6%9E%9C%E3%82%92%E5%87%BA%E5%8A%9B%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%BF%BB%E8%A8%B3%E3%82%B7%E3%82%B9%E3%83%86%E3%83%A0%E3%82%92%E4%BD%BF%E7%94%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%82%B9%E3%81%A7%E3%81%82%E3%82%8B%E3%81%93%E3%81%A8%E3%82%92%E5%8D%81%E5%88%86%E3%81%AB%E7%90%86%E8%A7%A3%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F%E4%B8%8A%E3%81%A7%E3%80%81%E3%81%93%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%82%B9%E3%82%92%E5%88%A9%E7%94%A8%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E3%82%82%E3%81%AE%E3%81%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99%E3%80%82%3Cbr%3E