More Chinese firms enter global LNG market
Niche buyers in China are starting to make waves in the global LNG market, spurred by reforms that have opened up the country’s vast pipeline network
Novatek, Russia’s top LNG producer, has signed a 15-year sales and purchase agreement (SPA) to supply China’s state-owned Shenergy Group with more than 3mn t/yr from the Arctic LNG 2 project. The SPA is Shenergy’s second in the past six months after the company—which has a monopoly on supplying gas and power in China’s financial hub of Shanghai—inked a 15-year deal with the UK’s Centrica for 0.5mn t/yr starting in 2024. The latest deal continues a trend that began last year in which smaller players—mostly city gas distributors backed by local authorities—have risen to prominence in China’s LNG supply deals. Provincial players such as Shenergy signed more LNG deals with international companie
Also in this section
1 April 2026
Golden Pass’s startup offers QatarEnergy a timely boost but may also force a difficult choice between honouring disrupted contracts and capitalising on soaring spot LNG prices
1 April 2026
It is not a case of if or when, but the length and magnitude of economic damage from elevated oil prices
1 April 2026
The US-Iran conflict demonstrates the need for diversification in several senses of the word. It also exposes the limits of Washington applying pressure on major oil and gas producers it considers geopolitical adversaries
31 March 2026
Disappointing results in its bidding round are a reality check for Libya, and global exploration generally






