美国对亚洲的液化天然气出口创历史新高

据油价网4月3日消息称，自2020年秋季以来，美国显著提高了对最大的液化天然气进口地区亚洲的液化天然气出口，近几周创下历史新高，并与卡塔尔竞争向最大的液化天然气买家供应燃料。

世界三大液化天然气进口国日本和韩国等冬季气温低于正常水平，导致近几个月对天然气的高需求，而疫情后工业活动的复苏也有助于推高需求。

据路透社援引Reciitiv的估计，2021年2月，美国对三大进口国的液化天然气出口量达到320万吨，是此前月度最高出口水平的2.5倍。

与2019年相比，去年美国对亚洲的液化天然气出口已经大幅增长，尽管疫情爆发，且春季和夏季需求低迷，当时美国出口和液化量非常低。

美国能源信息署（EIA）上月表示，2020年美国对亚洲的液化天然气出口激增67%，其中美国液化天然气出口总额猛增32%。根据EIA的数据，去年美国对亚洲的液化天然气出口激增67%，占美国出口液化天然气总量的近一半，即31亿立方英尺/天。

到2021年，液化天然气出口继续飙升，美国液化天然气甚至在日本给卡塔尔带来了竞争。然而，路透社援引官方数据指出，美国天然气的价格比卡塔尔高。

亚洲的液化天然气需求将继续激增，但卡塔尔正在通过低成本天然气和大规模扩张产能来扩大其全球市场份额，就新项目(包括美国计划的项目)的成本而言，其很难被击败。

朱佳妮 摘译自 油价网

原文如下：

U.S. LNG Exports To Asia Hit Record Highs

Since the fall of 2020, the United States has significantly boosted its liquefied natural gas exports to the top LNG-importing region, Asia, to the point of setting record highs in recent weeks and competing with Qatar for supplying the fuel to the biggest LNG buyers.

Below-normal winter temperatures in north Asia—the home of the world’s top three LNG importers Japanand South Korea—led to high demand for gas in recent months, while the recovery of industrial activities from the pandemic also helped to push up demand.

According to estimates from Refinitiv cited by Reuters, American exports of LNG to the top three importing nations reached 3.2 million tons in February 2021, which was two and a half times the previous highest monthly export levels.

U.S. LNG exports to Asia were already surging last year compared to 2019, despite the pandemic and the lull in demand in the spring and summer months, when U.S. exports and liquefaction volumes were very low.

U.S. exports of LNG to Asia surged by 67 percent in 2020 as total LNG exports out of the United States jumped by 32 percent, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said last month. American LNG exports to Asia surged by 67 percent last year, and accounted for nearly half—or 3.1 Bcf/d—of all LNG exports out of the United States, according to EIA data.

LNG exports continued to soar into 2021, and American LNG even gave Qatar a run for its money in Japan. However, the U.S. gas is more expensive on a per heating unit basis than Qatar’s, Reuters noted, citing official data.

LNG demand will continue to surge in Asia, but Qatar is making its move to expand its global market share with low-cost gas and a huge expansion in capacity, which will be difficult to beat in terms of costs for new projects, including those planned in the United States.