LNG tug-of-war squeezes South Asia
Countries in the region are particularly sensitive to high LNG prices, but term contracts and a degree of inelastic power-sector demand may support flows
Intense competition between Europe and East Asia for limited LNG volumes means less—but not no—LNG flowing to South Asia. India was still the world’s fourth-largest LNG importer in 2021—behind China, Japan and South Korea, and narrowly above Taiwan, EIA data shows, but the country’s import volumes were down year-on-year. India imported 24mn t of LNG in 2021, according to data from commodity tracker Kpler, down from 26.3mn t in the previous year, albeit 2020’s supply glut and low prices were hugely propitious conditions for the South Asian importer. India imported just 1.5mn t in February this year, the lowest volume for any month since April 2020. But imports rebounded in May to 2.1mn t, the
Also in this section
15 May 2025
Financial problems, lack of exploration success and political dogma cause uncertainty across much of the region
14 May 2025
The invisible hand of the market has seen increasing transparency but much more needs to be done to build a better understanding
13 May 2025
A fall in Venezuelan output drives overall production lower, as Saudi Arabia starts to slowly bring more crude to the market
12 May 2025
With the gas industry’s staunchest advocates and opponents taking brutal blows, the sector looks like treading a path of insipid indifference
