9月份液化天然氣（LNG）運輸價格飆升，明年可能會保持高位，這得益于新工廠產(chǎn)量的上升，以及人們擔心液化天然氣船只的需求將超過供應。

    經(jīng)紀人和交易員表示，從大西洋流域向亞洲運送液化天然氣的船只價格已從8月底的每日75000美元躍升至本周的每天90000美元至95000美元。

    從2015年到2017年，天然氣運輸價格一直徘徊在每天30000美元到40000美元之間，由于從美國和俄羅斯北極地區(qū)的新碼頭運輸液化天然氣的距離更長，且中國的需求激增，船只數(shù)量有限等原因，導致天然氣運輸價格有所上升。

    航運公司在本月的收益電話會議上，幾乎看不到他們有下滑的跡象，且預測2019年或更長時間內(nèi)的利率將會很高。

    Hoegh LNG首席執(zhí)行官Sveinung Stohle對投資者和分析師表示，他預計未來兩三年內(nèi)，利率將“在當前水平上有所提高”。

    強勁的液化天然氣需求推動了航運價格的上漲。日本和韓國的公用事業(yè)一直在為冬季儲備液化天然氣，將天然氣價格推高至四年來的最高季節(jié)性水平。夏季熱浪過后，需求比以往更強勁，意味著儲備被抽走，用于為額外的空調(diào)供電。

    對液化天然氣日益增長的需求使本來就在上漲的海運價格雪上加霜，部分原因是俄羅斯諾瓦泰克的亞馬爾液化天然氣終端和美國液化天然氣終端出口的增加。

    Golar LNG公司的首席執(zhí)行官Iain Ross本月表示，預計未來兩年液化天然氣產(chǎn)量將增長23%，這將需要增加100艘船舶。但只有66艘被安排及時交付。

    詹曉晶摘自路透社

    原文如下：

    LNG shipping rates spike with no respite seen through 2019

    The price of shipping liquefied natural gas (LNG) has spiked in September and is likely to remain high next year, buoyed by rising production from new plants and concerns that demand for LNG vessels will outpace supply.

     The rate for vessels shipping LNG from the Atlantic Basin to Asia has jumped to $90,000 to $95,000 a day this week from $75,000 a day at the end of August, brokers and traders said.

    Rates, which broadly hovered around $30,000 to $40,000 a day from 2015 to 2017, have risen due to longer distances covered to transport LNG from new terminals in the United States and Arctic Russia, surging demand in China and a limited number of ships.

    Shipping firms see little sign of them slipping soon, predicting high rates for 2019 or longer, during their earnings calls this month.

    Hoegh LNG Chief Executive Sveinung Stohle told investors and analysts he expected rates to “increase on the levels where they are, certainly, for the next two to three years”.

    Strong LNG demand has helped drive the shipping rate rise. Japanese and South Korean utilities having been stocking up on LNG for winter, driving prices to a seasonal four-year high. Demand was stronger than usual after a summer heatwave meant reserves were drawn down to power extra air-conditioning.

    This increasing demand for LNG has compounded already rising shipping rates, partly driven by the ramping up of exports at Novatek’s Yamal LNG terminal and at U.S. LNG terminals.

    Iain Ross, the chief executive of LNG shipping company Golar LNG, said this month the forecast of a 23 percent rise in LNG production over two years would require 100 extra vessels. But only 66 were scheduled to be delivered in time, he said.