*April saw the five top Asian LNG buyers import 19.5mn tons, a record for the month. Coming on the back of Q1 volumes that were the second highest on record after 2021 (MEES, 19 April) this puts 2024 on pace to challenge 2021’s all-time highs (see chart).
*Leading the surge is global number four buyer India, the most price sensitive of the big-five. India imported 6.61mn tons of LNG for Q1, up 39% year-on-year for the highest quarterly figure outside the record year of 2020. Indeed, March imports of 2.30mn tons soared above 2020 to post a record for the month as India’s average import prices dipped to just a penny above $10/mn BTU, the lowest since mid-2021 (MEES, 17 May for full data). (CONTINUED - 305 WORDS)