With a fourth large-scale liquefaction project in the final commissioning stages in the US and global seasonal demand lulls, the prognosis for US shut-ins is increasingly precarious. Adding to the pressure on US exporters, storage levels in Europe are set to hit peak operational capacity well ahead of seasonal norms. Europe has historically operated as the injection season LNG balancer for the world as Asian storage capacity is extremely constrained.
Madeline Jowdy, senior director, global gas and LNG for S&P Global Platts, examines the forces shaping the market.