9月份液化天然氣（LNG）運(yùn)輸價(jià)格飆升，明年可能會(huì)保持高位，這得益于新工廠產(chǎn)量的上升，以及人們擔(dān)心液化天然氣船只的需求將超過(guò)供應(yīng)。
經(jīng)紀(jì)人和交易員表示，從大西洋流域向亞洲運(yùn)送液化天然氣的船只價(jià)格已從8月底的每日75000美元躍升至本周的每天90000美元至95000美元。
從2015年到2017年，天然氣運(yùn)輸價(jià)格一直徘徊在每天30000美元到40000美元之間，由于從美國(guó)和俄羅斯北極地區(qū)的新碼頭運(yùn)輸液化天然氣的距離更長(zhǎng)，且中國(guó)的需求激增，船只數(shù)量有限等原因，導(dǎo)致天然氣運(yùn)輸價(jià)格有所上升。
航運(yùn)公司在本月的收益電話會(huì)議上，幾乎看不到他們有下滑的跡象，且預(yù)測(cè)2019年或更長(zhǎng)時(shí)間內(nèi)的利率將會(huì)很高。
Hoegh LNG首席執(zhí)行官Sveinung Stohle對(duì)投資者和分析師表示，他預(yù)計(jì)未來(lái)兩三年內(nèi)，利率將“在當(dāng)前水平上有所提高”。
強(qiáng)勁的液化天然氣需求推動(dòng)了航運(yùn)價(jià)格的上漲。日本和韓國(guó)的公用事業(yè)一直在為冬季儲(chǔ)備液化天然氣，將天然氣價(jià)格推高至四年來(lái)的最高季節(jié)性水平。夏季熱浪過(guò)后，需求比以往更強(qiáng)勁，意味著儲(chǔ)備被抽走，用于為額外的空調(diào)供電。
對(duì)液化天然氣日益增長(zhǎng)的需求使本來(lái)就在上漲的海運(yùn)價(jià)格雪上加霜，部分原因是俄羅斯諾瓦泰克的亞馬爾液化天然氣終端和美國(guó)液化天然氣終端出口的增加。
Golar LNG公司的首席執(zhí)行官I(mǎi)ain Ross本月表示，預(yù)計(jì)未來(lái)兩年液化天然氣產(chǎn)量將增長(zhǎng)23%，這將需要增加100艘船舶。但只有66艘被安排及時(shí)交付。
詹曉晶摘自路透社
原文如下：
LNG shipping rates spike with no respite seen through 2019
The price of shipping liquefied natural gas (LNG) has spiked in September and is likely to remain high next year, buoyed by rising production from new plants and concerns that demand for LNG vessels will outpace supply.
The rate for vessels shipping LNG from the Atlantic Basin to Asia has jumped to $90,000 to $95,000 a day this week from $75,000 a day at the end of August, brokers and traders said.
Rates, which broadly hovered around $30,000 to $40,000 a day from 2015 to 2017, have risen due to longer distances covered to transport LNG from new terminals in the United States and Arctic Russia, surging demand in China and a limited number of ships.
Shipping firms see little sign of them slipping soon, predicting high rates for 2019 or longer, during their earnings calls this month.
Hoegh LNG Chief Executive Sveinung Stohle told investors and analysts he expected rates to “increase on the levels where they are, certainly, for the next two to three years”.
Strong LNG demand has helped drive the shipping rate rise. Japanese and South Korean utilities having been stocking up on LNG for winter, driving prices to a seasonal four-year high. Demand was stronger than usual after a summer heatwave meant reserves were drawn down to power extra air-conditioning.
This increasing demand for LNG has compounded already rising shipping rates, partly driven by the ramping up of exports at Novatek’s Yamal LNG terminal and at U.S. LNG terminals.
Iain Ross, the chief executive of LNG shipping company Golar LNG, said this month the forecast of a 23 percent rise in LNG production over two years would require 100 extra vessels. But only 66 were scheduled to be delivered in time, he said.