Pricing up and down
A trend towards increased spot sales and more flexible contracts is keeping the global LNG industry on its toes
The rollercoaster ride in oil and liquefied natural gas prices since 2014 has shaken up previously staid LNG pricing mechanisms and contract terms. Buyer aggressiveness; the emergence of international trading companies as significant market participants; and the growing US role in LNG supply have all affected contract structures. But market participants say the evolution towards a world price for traded gas still has some way to run. Japan is the world's largest single LNG destination and the lynchpin of the Asia-Pacific LNG market, accounting for 73% of world imports, according to the International Group of LNG Importers. Since 2014, the spot price of LNG delivered to Japan has swung betwee
Also in this section
16 January 2026
The country’s global energy importance and domestic political fate are interlocked, highlighting its outsized oil and gas powers, and the heightened fallout risk
16 January 2026
The global maritime oil transport sector enters 2026 facing a rare convergence of crude oversupply, record newbuild deliveries and the potential easing of several geopolitical disruptions that have shaped trade flows since 2022
15 January 2026
Rebuilding industry, energy dominance and lower energy costs are key goals that remain at odds in 2026
14 January 2026
Chavez’s socialist reforms boosted state control but pushed knowledge and capital out of the sector, opening the way for the US shale revolution
