欧洲天然气需求承压

据能源之声网站4月28日报道 雷斯塔能源首席执行官Jarand Rystad表示，天然气行业对冠状病毒的影响没有石油那么强烈，尽管今年液化天然气产量的增加似乎将使价格承压。

雷斯塔在国际天然气联盟（IGU）发布的《2020年世界液化天然气报告》上发表上述讲话。

2019年全球天然气价格较低。美国亨利中心平均为2.53美元/每百万英热单位，英国NBP为4.85美元/每百万英热单位，亚洲现货为5.49美元/每百万英热单位。一些地区的基准甚至更低，德克萨斯州的瓦哈中心的价格为0.9美元/每百万英热单位。

日本的液化天然气需求持续下降，尽管该国在2019年保持在首位，为7690万吨，较2018年减少560万吨。

不过，最具戏剧性的影响还是在欧洲。低价推动液化天然气流入该地区，该地区一直被视为最后的市场，液化天然气流量几乎翻了一番，达到8590万吨。

冠状病毒对日本进口的影响因日本转向核电而变得模糊不清。

病毒向欧洲的传播有更大的标志。以意大利为例，根据雷斯塔的报告，在短短一个多月内，天然气消费量下降了20%左右。原定于6月和7月从美国运抵西班牙的两批货物已被取消，显示出进一步的中断。

雷斯塔表示，在美国没有看到冠状病毒的影响，美国正处于从燃煤发电向天然气发电的结构性转变之中。天然气消费一直由非常低的价格推动，到目前为止，天然气消费在2020年和2019年之间保持良好势头。

王磊 摘译自 能源之声

原文如下：

European gas demand under pressure

The impact of coronavirus has not been felt as strongly by the gas industry as oil, Rystad Energy’s CEO Jarand Rystad has said, although increasing LNG production seems set to keep prices under pressure this year.

Rystad was speaking at the launch of the International Gas Union’s (IGU) World LNG Report 2020.

Gas prices were low in 2019 around the world. The US’ Henry Hub averaged $2.53 per mmBtu, the UK’s NBP $4.85 per mmBtu and Asian spot was $5.49 per mmBtu. Some regional benchmarks were even lower, with the Waha hub in Texas running at $0.9 per mmBtu.

LNG demand in Japan kept on falling, although the country held onto its top spot in 2019, at 76.9 million tonnes, down by 5.6mn tonnes from 2018.

The most dramatic impact was in Europe, though. Low prices drove LNG volumes into the region, which has long been considered the market of last resort, with flows almost doubling to 85.9mn tonnes.

The impact of coronavirus on Japan’s imports has been obscured by the country’s shift back to nuclear power.

The spread of the virus to Europe has had a greater mark. In Italy, for instance, gas consumption has fallen by around 20% in just over a month, according to the Rystad presentation. Two cargoes due to arrive in Spain from the US, for delivery in June and July, have been cancelled showing further disruption.

Rystad said they “hadn’t seen a [coronavirus] impact in the US”, with the country in the midst of a structural shift from coal-fired power generation to gas. Consumption of gas has been driven by very low prices and has held up well in 2020 to date versus 2019.