LNG spot trading on a roll
Growth in “true” LNG spot trading is set to continue, with an emergent role for portfolio players and traders
Spot and short-term LNG recorded an impressive increase in occurred in 2018—rising from 27pc of global physical trade the previous year to 32pc. But that headline figure masks a trend of arguably much greater significance. The latest annual report from LNG importers' group GIIGNL shows that 'true' spot trading has been rising rapidly since 2016. And the signs are that this surge is set to continue for at least another couple of years as additional more flexible production capacity comes on stream, especially in the United States, and as long-term contracts expire. Not only is this rise a sign of growing liquidity in physical LNG trading—as the industry moves ever closer towards commoditisati
Also in this section
10 March 2026
Eni’s director for global gas and LNG portfolio, Cristian Signoretto, discusses how demand will respond to rising LNG supply, and how the company is expanding its own gas and LNG operations through disciplined, capital-efficient investments
9 March 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis sees increases in output from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Kazakhstan among others before region’s murky descent
9 March 2026
Energy sanctions are becoming an increasingly prominent tool of US foreign policy, with the country’s growth in oil and gas production allowing it to impose pressure on rivals without jeopardising its own energy security or that of its allies, argues Matthew McManus, a visiting fellow at the National Center for Energy Analytics
6 March 2026
The March 2026 issue of Petroleum Economist is out now!
