The LNG wave is on the way
Liquefaction ramp-ups and a slowing rate of Chinese demand growth finally deliver the oft-anticipated supply glut
Europe's LNG terminals are set to be over 60pc busier in January 2019 compared to the same month last year. Australian, Russian and US supply has stepped up, and Asia is working through a backlog of fourth-quarter oversupply after mild weather. But is this just a temporary blip or finally the arrival of the widely predicted but much delayed "wave" that would send the global LNG markets into oversupply? Analysts are in a broad agreement that it is the latter. According to Paris-headquartered Kpler, one of the market-leading LNG cargo analysts, Europe will receive 5.8mn t of LNG in January, based on observed arrivals and anticipated ship movements until the end of the month, up by 2.2mn t from
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






