More Chinese firms enter global LNG market
Niche buyers in China are starting to make waves in the global LNG market, spurred by reforms that have opened up the country’s vast pipeline network
Novatek, Russia’s top LNG producer, has signed a 15-year sales and purchase agreement (SPA) to supply China’s state-owned Shenergy Group with more than 3mn t/yr from the Arctic LNG 2 project. The SPA is Shenergy’s second in the past six months after the company—which has a monopoly on supplying gas and power in China’s financial hub of Shanghai—inked a 15-year deal with the UK’s Centrica for 0.5mn t/yr starting in 2024. The latest deal continues a trend that began last year in which smaller players—mostly city gas distributors backed by local authorities—have risen to prominence in China’s LNG supply deals. Provincial players such as Shenergy signed more LNG deals with international companie

Also in this section
17 July 2025
US downstream sector in key state feels the pain of high costs, an environmental squeeze and the effects of broader market trends
16 July 2025
Crude quality issues are an often understated risk to energy security, highlighted by problems at a key US refinery
15 July 2025
Government consultations on the windfall tax and the exploration licence ban are positive steps, but it is unclear how long it will take for them to yield tangible outcomes
15 July 2025
A brutally honest picture about the potential role of oil and gas in 2050 should prompt policymakers to not only reflect but also change course to meet vital energy needs