That's All Right - LNG May Not Join Oil as Global Commodity, But Markets Seem Just Fine With That

From its origins as a specialized energy source sold under long-term, point-to-point contracts to primarily Asian destinations, LNG has become progressively more commodified as its global reach has spread, with 44 countries now importing it. An increasing proportion of cargoes are destination-flexible and can be sent to the market that offers the best price, and the marginal price of LNG is set by supply and demand factors. The spectrum of commercial players has grown and come to resemble more closely the oil market, with not only international oil companies as major participants but also traders and utility buyers, all of whom are contributing to a vibrant international LNG marketplace. But unlike oil and other established commodities, LNG lacks a global reference or benchmark price, and instead is priced regionally, with the divergence in regional market prices giving rise to very profitable arbitrage opportunities for those controlling both product and ships. In today’s RBN blog, we look at the pricing indices used to make LNG trading decisions and two initiatives being implemented by the European Commission (EC) that are intended to improve price transparency for LNG trades and prevent price spikes in European gas markets through a consortium-purchasing approach.

In the past few years, the Netherland’s Title Transfer Facility (TTF) overtook the UK’s National Balancing Point (NBP) to become the premier gas trading hub in Europe. TTF has gained favor over NBP largely due to its location closer to more markets, supply pipelines, plentiful storage, and also the Netherlands’ Gate LNG import terminal, which has become paramount given Europe’s growing need for imported gas. As imports have grown, so has TTF in terms of its volume and its liquidity — a trend that is expected to continue as the European gas market evolves. TTF now shares the stage with Henry Hub and the Japan Korea Marker (JKM) as one of the key global benchmarks for LNG and natural gas. Though traders use TTF as a price index for LNG, much like its cross-Atlantic peer, Henry Hub, TTF is also heavily influenced by regional pipeline gas and storage levels. Today, we’ll look at the history of Europe’s premier natural gas index and the fundamentals affecting it. 

With international gas prices ranging somewhere between ridiculous and ludicrous since last fall, the entire global trade of LNG is going through an unprecedented period of change as gas-consuming nations try to cope with the current situation and seek protection from tight supplies and high prices in the future. The problems of Europe in securing supplies for the imminent winter have been well documented here and elsewhere in the trade press. In addition to being a major struggle for consumers and a headwind to economic development, there are also numerous, less-obvious consequences of the tectonic shifts in gas fundamentals, including countries’ individual plans for long-term energy supplies, potential tax-related issues, the contractual structures used to transact LNG, and even the assessments of the commodity price itself. These issues aren’t new and, in many cases, have been discussed for years. What’s changed is that extremely high prices have thrown into sharp relief any inefficiency or risk that exposes market participants. In today’s RBN blog, we consider the impact of high global gas prices on countries in Asia and Europe and how pricing mechanisms might be affected.