*Having bottomed out at just over $6/mn BTU in trade for April-delivery cargoes, spot LNG prices for the key northeast Asian market have since firmed. Prices for May trade averaged $6.90/mn BTU and have risen to close to $8/mn BTU as front month trade moves on to June cargoes, according to recent Reuters market reports.
*Latest official figures for spot Japanese purchases shows that the country's buyers paid an average of $6.60/mn BTU for cargoes contracted in March, roughly analogous to April arrivals. (CONTINUED - 300 WORDS)
