THE SOARING PRICES OF LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS IN MULTIPLE COUNTRIES MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO FIND A SHIP
THE COLD WAVE WEATHER HAS INTENSIFIED PEOPLE'S DEMAND FOR HEATING. RECENTLY, THE IMPORT PRICES OF LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS IN JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA HAVE BEEN CONTINUOUSLY RISING, WHICH HAS ALSO CAUSED THE SHIPPING PRICES OF LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS TO SKYROCKET. ACCORDING TO REUTERS, IN LESS THAN A YEAR, THE PRICE OF LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS SHIPPED TO MAJOR IMPORTING COUNTRIES SUCH AS JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA HAS SKYROCKETED FROM HISTORICAL LOWS TO HISTORICAL HIGHS. ACCORDING TO THE ASSESSMENT OF S&P GLOBAL PLATTS, A PROVIDER OF COMMODITY AND ENERGY MARKET INFORMATION AND BENCHMARK PRICES, THE BENCHMARK PRICE OF LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS IN ASIA HAS RISEN TO $21.45 PER MILLION BRITISH THERMAL UNITS, APPROXIMATELY $0.71 PER CUBIC METER. SINCE ENTERING 2021, THE PRICE HAS INCREASED BY 42%. WITH THE SOARING PRICE OF LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS, LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS SHIPPING HAS ENCOUNTERED A SITUATION WHERE IT IS DIFFICULT TO FIND A SINGLE SHIP. IT IS REPORTED THAT THE AVAILABLE CAPACITY OF MAJOR LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS VESSELS WORLDWIDE IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR HAS BEEN ALMOST ZERO. IN THE PAST MONTH, THE SHIPPING PRICES OF LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS ON SOME ROUTES HAVE TRIPLED. AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MONTH, BP RENTED A LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS SHIP FROM THE UNITED STATES FOR A "SKY HIGH" PRICE OF $350000 PER DAY, SETTING A NEW RECORD FOR THE MOST EXPENSIVE MERCHANT SHIP IN HISTORY.