japan

Jera Co. Inc. has signed on as an offtaker from Venture Global LNG Inc.’s CP2 export project under development in Cameron Parish, LA.  Jera, Japan’s largest power company, has agreed to buy 1 million metric tons/year (mmty) of liquefied natural gas from CP2. Jera would buy the super-chilled fuel for a term of 20-years on…

Japan’s Mitsui & Co. Ltd. has added an upstream foothold in the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas, with plans to serve LNG export demand, as well as low-carbon ammonia and methanol production on the Gulf Coast. The Tokyo-based conglomerate said Thursday it has completed the acquisition of a roughly 92% working interest in an…

Energy and environment ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) economically advanced nations, including the United States, agreed to ramp up electricity generated by renewable energy sources to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. Yet the ministers, recognizing global demand shifts amid Russia’s war in Ukraine and the particular energy needs of meeting host…

Global natural gas demand remained weak as floating inventories built at sea and prices in Europe and Asia continued falling as the week got underway.  The May Title Transfer Facility (TTF) shed a penny on Monday, while spot LNG prices in Asia dropped below $12/MMBtu to their lowest point in nearly two years.  In Europe,…

Pockets of spot LNG demand continue emerging across Asia, particularly among price-sensitive natural gas buyers, but the market remains loose heading into summer as larger buyers across the region and in Europe remain on the sidelines.  Thailand’s PTT LNG Co. Ltd. bought nine summer cargoes for about $13/MMBtu in a tender that closed last week,…

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is planning a strategic LNG reserve to ensure the country has enough natural gas to meet domestic demand as global competition ramps up.  METI’s proposal is primarily aimed at preventing gas shortages and preparing Japan, one of the world’s largest buyers of liquefied natural gas, for battling…

A group of Japanese firms, including some of the largest buyers of LNG, agreed to study the production and export of hydrogen blended with carbon dioxide (CO2) in Texas and Louisiana. Mitsubishi Corp., Osaka Gas Co. Ltd., Toho Gas Co. Ltd. and Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd. have disclosed an agreement to explore a U.S.-based supply…

European natural gas prices declined on Monday, when supply concerns were eased by Gazprom PJSC, which did not reduce the supplies it’s shipping through Ukraine after warning of cuts last week. The January contract fell by 1% after Gazprom said conditions had been met to keep moving gas at current levels into Ukraine, one of…

Japan, one of the world’s leading LNG buyers, is shifting its focus on securing energy supplies to next year as its inventories have been boosted by lower demand and the market is expected to become increasingly tight as Europe continues replacing Russian natural gas imports. “Winter of 2023 is looming on many buyers’ minds, as…