欧洲今年冬天成为美国液化天然气的最大买家

中国石化新闻网讯 路透社1月25日报道称，今年冬天迄今为止，欧洲一直是美国液化天然气（LNG）的最大买家，尽管主要原因是出于利润而不是政治因素，美国液化天然气货物一直在增加其在欧洲的市场份额，该市场一直由俄罗斯和挪威通过管道供应主导。

美国官员和液化天然气行业管理人士表示，他们相信美国可以在欧洲天然气市场上与俄罗斯竞争。俄罗斯天然气工业股份公司占据欧洲天然气市场超过三分之一的份额。美国政府一直热衷于向欧洲国家出售其液化天然气，以帮助他们实现多元化，摆脱对俄罗斯天然气的依赖。

东欧，波兰和立陶宛已与美国公司签署了液化天然气供应协议。这些国家将减少进口俄罗斯天然气以确保国家安全。

然而，在欧洲其他地区，目前的市场和价格决定了美国液化天然气的运输量。

由于今年冬季迄今为止亚洲液化天然气价格处于三年来最低水平，美国液化天然气货物已在欧洲找到了归宿，欧洲传统上被视为液化天然气供应商的最后市场。

根据路透社的分析，目前欧洲是美国液化天然气的最大买家，此次出货量比前一个冬季增加了五倍。欧洲取代墨西哥和韩国成为美国液化天然气出口的最大目的地。

徐蕾 摘译自 路透社

原文如下：

Europe Emerges As Top Buyer Of U.S. LNG This Winter

So far this winter, Europe has been the biggest buyer of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG), and despite the fact that the key reason has been profit rather than politics, U.S. LNG cargoes have been increasing its share of a market dominated by pipeline supplies from Russia and Norway, a Reuters analysis showed on Friday.

U. S. officials and LNG industry managers have expressed confidence that the United States can compete with Russia on the European natural gas market, of which Gazprom holds more than a third. The U.S. Administration has been keen to sell American LNG to European countries to help them diversify away from Russia’s natural gas dominance.

In Eastern Europe, Poland and Lithuania—which see reducing Russian gas dependence as an issue of national security—have signed LNG supply deals with U.S. companies.

In the rest of Europe, however, it’s the current market and prices that dictate how much U.S. LNG will be shipped.

With Asian LNG prices at their weakest in three years so far this winter, U.S. LNG cargoes have found home in Europe, which is traditionally viewed as the market of last resort for LNG suppliers.

Currently, Europe is the largest buyer of U.S. LNG after shipments surged fivefold compared to the previous winter season, according to the Reuters analysis. Europe overtook Mexico and South Korea as the single biggest destination for U.S. LNG exports.