Asian LNG market embraces short-term contracts
Buyers are becoming less keen on being locked in for the long term amid a rapidly evolving market and rising demand
Asian LNG buyers—including a new crop of importers from China—are increasingly demanding shorter-term contracts that span just several years, but there is still a time and place for long-term contracting in the market despite increased spot liquidity, executives said at a June industry conference in Shanghai. “In the earliest stage of the LNG market, we saw more 20-25-year long-term contracts, but now requirements have changed, and some are saying they prefer three-to-five-year contracts,” Ma Shenyuan, a senior adviser to US LNG project developer Tellurian, told the China LNG & Gas International Exhibition & Summit. “Of course, there are still some Chinese buyers requesting five-to-t
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy






