India set to import record LNG volumes as spot prices slump on virus impact
India is set to import record volumes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) this month, data shows, taking advantage of the super-chilled fuel’s price hitting all-time lows due to the coronavirus outbreak dampening demand in China.
The South Asian nation is estimated to import about 2.36 million tonnes in February, shiptracking data from Refinitiv Eikon showed. That would exceed India’s LNG imports in October of about 2.3 million tonnes, the previous highest monthly total.
The country’s annual LNG imports is expected to rise by 10%-15% this year, said Poorna Rajendran of consultancy firm FGE.
“The low spot prices are creating some downstream demand especially from the city-gas sector,” a source familiar with LNG imports into India told Reuters. India regasifies LNG and uses it primarily in the city-gas distribution, fertilizer, power and industrial sectors.
