Oz East Coast LNG Exports Slump to 15-month Low in June

Export volumes of LNG from Australia’s Port of Gladstone, which is the base for all of the east coast’s facilities, fell to a 15-month low in June, data from the Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC) said Friday.

There was 1.60mn metric tons of LNG exported from Gladstone during the month – down 7% year on year and 3% month on month. It’s the second smallest monthly volume since all six trains have been online.

LNG is exported from Gladstone from the ConocoPhillips-Origin Energy Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG), Shell’s Queensland Curtis LNG and the Santos-led Gladstone LNG. Each project has two trains. APLNG’s second train was the last to be brought online, which was in October 2016.

Export volumes to Japan stood at just 66,031 mt, which is down 67% year on year and 49% month on month. China was sent 1.15mn mt, which is up 12% year on year and up 7% from May; South Korean shipments were 242,309 mt at falls of 33% year on year and 19% on month; Singapore was sent 72,033 mt, up from zero last year and little changed on month and volumes to Malaysia were steady on year and month at 62,859 mt, the GPC data showed.

APLNG has scheduled maintenance works with each limiting half of one train’s capacity from July 17-22, August 21-26 and September 11-17, it told the Australian Energy Market Operator earlier in the year.

APLNG is a 9mn mt/year capacity terminal. ConocoPhillips and Origin Energy each hold 37.5% interests and Sinopec has a 25% stake.