Liquefied natural gas prices are poised to test record lows this year thanks to an onslaught of supply and warmer temperatures, throwing up risks and opportunities for the producers, buyers and traders behind the world's fastest-growing fossil fuel.
The startup of new export projects from Australia to the U.S. has flooded the market, while brimming stockpiles in Europe and an expected slowdown in Chinese demand have dumped cold water on consumption prospects. LNG for spot delivery to North Asia is on track to hit an all-time low this summer, while gas prices in Europe and the U.S. are trading at the weakest seasonal levels since 1999.
"The global oversupply of LNG has been building and building and building," said Ron Ozer, founder of gas-focused hedge fund Statar Capital LLC in New York. "The gas market can't stomach the oversupply and warm weather, and it's getting both."
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