美国天然气价格创历史新高

中国石化新闻网讯 据4月24日彭博社报道，由于疫情严重影响了其他地区的需求，美国天然气价格十多年来第一次成为世界上最昂贵的天然气。

美国天然气期货本月上涨约10%，贸易商预测，油价的历史性暴跌将迫使美国页岩公司停止更多钻探活动，并限值作为副产品的天然气产量。与此同时，在欧洲和亚洲，由于供应过剩和疫情导致的消费疲软，价格正跌至新低。

自页岩气革命以来，美国天然气价格一直是最便宜的。页岩气革命给美国带来了大量燃料，并使美国成为全球最大的天然气生产国。大型的出口码头是通过与美国低天然气价格挂钩的合同来吸引客户，从而获得融资和建设的。

随着亚洲和欧洲的价格面临供应上升和需求下降的双重压力，这种优势正在消失。本周运送到北亚的液化天然气以每百万英热单位1美元的高价售出，这可能是该地区有史以来最便宜的现货货物。

数据显示，亚洲的液化天然气基准价格周四跌至1.94美元/百万英热单位。美国天然气期货收于1.815美元，英国天然气期货收于1.71美元。

此举意义重大，因为它改变了亚洲和欧洲天然气价格一直高于美国的溢价，并为希望增加在该地区销售美国液化天然气的出口商们增加了障碍。美国燃料的买家已经取消了至少12批6月份装船的货物，贸易商估计本月可能有20多批货物被取消。

北美能源天然气公司（Energy Aspects Ltd.）负责人尼娜?法希（Nina Fahy）表示：“ 亨利中心（Henry Hub）相对较高的天然气基准价显然将额外的取消视为一个非常现实的威胁。”

舒晓玲 摘译自 彭博社

原文如下：

U.S. Natural Gas to Be World’s Priciest Amid Virus Upheaval

For the first time in more than a decade, U.S. natural gas is set to be the world’s most expensive as Covid-19 lockdowns wallop demand in other regions.

Gas futures in the U.S. have rallied about 10% this month as traders bet that a historic crash in oil prices will drive American shale companies to halt more drilling and curb output of gas, which is extracted as a byproduct. In Europe and Asia, meanwhile, prices are sliding to fresh lows due to a supply glut and languishing consumption amid the pandemic.

U.S. gas had consistently been the cheapest since the shale revolution, which flooded the country with fuel and turned it into the world’s biggest producer. Giant export terminals were financed and built by attracting customers through contracts linked to cheap American gas prices.

That edge is eroding as prices in Asia and Europe confront the twin forces of rising supply and plunging demand. A shipment of liquefied natural gas for delivery to North Asia was sold this week in the high-$1 per million British thermal units range, likely to be the cheapest spot cargo ever transacted in the region.

Asia’s benchmark LNG price, the Japan/Korea Marker, fell to $1.94 per million Btu on Thursday, U.S. gas futures ended the day at $1.815 while U.K. prices were at $1.71.

The move is significant as it shifts the premium that gas in Asia and Europe has historically commanded over U.S. prices and adds a hurdle to American LNG exporters looking to boost sales to those regions. Buyers of U.S. fuel have canceled at least 12 cargoes for June loading, and traders estimate that more than 20 shipments could have been canceled for the month.

“The relative richness of Henry Hub clearly puts additional cancellations as a very real threat,” said Nina Fahy, head of North American natural gas for Energy Aspects Ltd.