Global LNG prices firm on demand from South Korea and Taiwan

Spot prices for September delivery rose to US$5.90/mmBtu, 15 cents above last week.

Korea Gas Corp, one of the world's biggest LNG importers, is expected to seek several cargoes via tender, alongside smaller peer SK E&S.

Taiwan's state-run CPC is also seeking added supply to cover its summer demand.

On the supply side, Russia's Sakhalin II project is expected to offer several October-loading cargoes, likely to weigh on spot prices during the month as more supply emerges, including from new projects gearing up operations.

Chevron's new Wheatstone LNG project is due to export first LNG in September, while the fourth production line at Cheniere Energy's Sabine Pass plant appears to have begun liquefying gas, based on higher feed-stock flows.

Meanwhile, Angola's export plant launched a tender to sell a prompt cargo loading over 7 August to 9 August. That tender closes on 8 August and will be valid until 10 August.

Exxon Mobil is offering a cargo from its Papua New Guinea project for loading over 16 – 20 September via tender, which will close on 2 August and is valid until 4 August.

New sources of demand are also looming. Bangladesh's state minister for energy and power said he expects the country to import around 17.5 million tpy of the fuel by 2025.

The country expects to begin bringing in LNG cargoes via two floating import terminals by July next year.

Bangladesh was in talks with Qatar's RasGas and Indonesia's Pertamina for long-term supply deals, while it also planned to import significant amounts of its future demand via the freely traded spot market.

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