Singapore LNG scouts for spot cargoes as electricity futures surge

SINGAPORE: Singapore LNG Corp is making enquiries about buying LNG cargoes from the spot market, a rare move for the operator of the city-state’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, industry sources said on Wednesday.

The enquiries come on the back of surging prices globally of power generation fuels such as LNG and coal, amid power shortages from China and India to Europe.

SLNG contributes to Singapore’s energy security and its terminal supplies up to 30% of the city state’s natural gas demand for power generation, its website says.

SLNG is looking for LNG in the spot market privately, four sources said, with one of them adding that it is seeking up to two cargoes for delivery into Singapore in November.

It was not immediately clear why SLNG was seeking the cargoes or if the request was firm.

The company and Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) did not immediately reply to Reuters request for comment.

It is unusual for Singapore to seek spot LNG cargoes as the country is typically adequately supplied with LNG through long-term deals and gas imports from Indonesia via a pipeline. One of the sources said the request from SLNG came after Singapore’s electricity prices jumped.

Singapore’s monthly base load electricity futures have surged by more than double since the start of the month while the quarterly base load electricity energy futures are trading at their highest since the contract was launched in 2015.

About 95% of Singapore’s electricity is generated from imported natural gas with the country’s long term gas and LNG cargoes linked to oil prices.