The United States in April equates its records for the largest volume of liquid natural gas which was exported as an increase in an increase in the PlaqueMines VG Venture Global Plant, LSEG data showed.
The US has become the largest exporter of LNG in the world and its capacity is expected to grow 20% in 2025 to 115 million tons after a record of years in 2024, according to the administration of US Energy Information.
In April, the US exported 9.3 million tons (MT) LNG, equaling the monthly records set in March, LSEG data showed.
Exports have been pushed this year by the PlaqueMines Phase 1 Venture Global Project Startup. This project has produced 140% of its design capacity, according to investment bank Tudor Pickering Holt & Co.
In April, PlaqueMines exported 1.1 MT, up from March when exporting 0.82 MT, according to LSEG tracking data.
Europe is once again the selected market for US LNG exports in April. The US exported 6.3 MT LNG to the continent in April, which represented 68% of its total exports for the month. This is a little less than 6.47 MT which was exported to Europe in March.
The US sold 2.05 MT to Asia in April, more than 1.64 MT which was sold in March, because traders took advantage of higher prices in Asia, LSEG data showed.
In Europe, the price benchmark (TRNLTTFMC1) averaged around $ 11.48 per MMBTU in April, down from $ 13.21 in March. One reason the price has fallen in Europe is that Chinese buyers have resold their cargo to Europe to avoid paying tariffs on them if they import them to China.
Benchmark Asian gas prices, Japanese Korean markers (JKM) (JKMC1), on average $ 12.23 per million British Thermal Units (MMBTU) in April, down from $ 13.50 in March.
The price is higher in Asia than in Europe even though LNG’s demand from China in April was the weakest since October 2022, according to the KPler commodity analyst.
US exports to Latin America increased slightly to 0.68 MT in April, up from 0.55 in March, because it benefited from the reduction of output at Atlantic LNG in Trinidad, according to LSEG data.
Atlantic LNG, which is owned by Shell Shel and BP BP., Export to Latin America and sells two cargo fewer in April than on average in 2025, LSEG data shows.
The US reduces exports to the Middle East with only one cargo sold to Egypt.
There are three other cargo, with a total of 0.21 MT that left the US port without clear purpose, according to LSEG data.
The US LNG exporter also paid less for their feed gas in April with Henry Hub Ng1 US! Benchmark in Louisiana averaged around $ 3.43 per million British thermal units (MMBTU), down from $ 4.14 in March.
Source: Reuters
