Interest from Asian buyers in liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from Mexico’s Pacific Coast has reached a full-blown frenzy amid soaring natural gas prices and demand, according to Mexico Pacific Limited LLC (MPL) CEO Doug Shanda.

Shanda spoke with NGI about the firm’s LNG export terminal planned for Puerto Libertad in Sonora state.

“We saw a lot of interest at the end of last year,” Shanda said, but “this year, it’s just been incredible.”

Front-month Japan-Korea Marker (JKM) prices, the benchmark for LNG delivered to Asia, settled at $18.650/MMBtu on Friday, compared to $4.938 for the U.S. benchmark Henry Hub.

By allowing shippers of gas produced in the Permian Basin of West Texas to bypass the Panama Canal, MPL will offer “the most competitive price for...