Gladstone Port LNG Exports in August Up 8% on Year

Exports of LNG from Queensland’s Gladstone Port stood at 1.63mn metric tons in August, up almost 8% year-on-year, according to the latest data published by the Australian port operator.

China, South Korea and Japan remained the top destinations. Exports to China during the month were 1.11mn mt compared with 667,957 mt during the same month last year, so up 66%. Total shipments to Japan were 335,359 mt as against 132,447 mt during the same month of 2016. Exports to South Korea were 115,958 mt, down from the 182,963 mt in the same month last year.

Exports have risen as more coalbed methane LNG trains have come on stream on Curtis Island. Gladstone Port's data gives individual figures for only the top three destinations for LNG -- two of which were sharply higher -- but the 8% increase also reflects trends to other countries as well including India, Malaysia and Singapore. The port operator said in its annual report last year that it expects the trend of rising exports to continue in the current year as well.

The Port of Gladstone is home to the Australia Pacific LNG, Gladstone LNG, and Queensland Curtis LNG terminals. 

Shardul Sharma