Weather and pricing key to Asia’s winter LNG demand
Nuclear availability in Japan and South Korea will also be an important factor in determining overall LNG requirements
Asia’s LNG demand outlook for the coming winter will depend in large part on he weather, nuclear availability and—for some of the newer markets—pricing, Kaushal Ramesh, head of gas and LNG analytics at consultancy Rystad explained as he spoke with Petroleum Economist for the Energy Oracles podcast series. The largest LNG markets in the world are concentrated in Northeast Asia. China and Japan are the two biggest, with South Korea and Taiwan also being significant importers. And while China has some domestic gas output, overall there is a lack of significant production in the region, making it “much more dependent on LNG imports, while LNG storage is fairly expensive”, said Ramesh. That means
Also in this section
6 February 2026
The long close relationship between key supplier Qatar and pivotal buyer Japan becomes even deeper following new landmark deal
6 February 2026
Partnerships across the LNG value chain have evolved over time, growing in both complexity and importance, according to panellists at LNG2026
6 February 2026
Nigeria's mega-refinery is still trying to solve many challenges, all while its owner talks up expansion
5 February 2026
While broadly supportive of EU efforts to tackle methane emissions, representatives of the gas industry warn it could deter supply contracting if timelines and compliance requirements are not made more pragmatic






