LNG Demand in China and India Could Surge When Prices Normalize

Depressed LNG demand in recent months in China and India is the result of spiking LNG prices due to the Middle East conflict, and consumption in the key Asian gas import markets is set to rebound once the war ends and prices normalize, industry executives say. The war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have choked LNG supply out of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Persian Gulf producers have managed to find workarounds for oil deliveries, including shuttle-shipping crude out of the Strait and then transferring the cargo…

LNG Market Background

The global LNG market has undergone a structural transformation in recent years, with U.S. exports reshaping trade flows and providing consuming nations with greater supply optionality. European buyers have accelerated long-term LNG contracting following the disruption of Russian pipeline gas supplies.

New LNG liquefaction capacity — from the U.S. Gulf Coast, Qatar's North Field expansion, and Australian projects — is expected to add significant supply volumes through the late 2020s, with implications for long-term contract pricing and spot market dynamics.

What to Watch

Stakeholders will be tracking spot LNG cargo pricing in Asian and European markets, liquefaction plant utilization rates, and upcoming long-term supply contract negotiations as global LNG trade flows continue to evolve.