European Gas Prices Swing as LNG Surge Battles Arctic Blast

2/2 © Bloomberg. A gas utility box near the open cast lignite mine outside Belchatow, Poland, on Thursday, Nov. 24, 20212. Poland's use of coal makes it an outlier among the 27-member European Union, the country of 38 million people accounts for 77% of all the households in the bloc that still use coal for heating. Photographer: Damian Lemański/Bloomberg 2/2

(Bloomberg) -- European natural gas prices fluctuated as record imports of liquefied natural gas helped to offset a blast of winter weather that is testing the region’s resilience to the energy crisis. 

LNG imports into northwest Europe have surged in recent weeks as high prices attract shipments. The continent is also seeking to prevent its gas stockpiles from dwindling as demand for heating soars. 

From London to Latvia, temperatures are set to drop below freezing in the coming days, forecasts show. It’s Europe’s first real trial of the season after Russia curbed gas supplies in the fallout over its war in Ukraine. A slump in wind power and nuclear outages in Sweden and France are also straining power and gas networks. 

“We now expect two-thirds of all US LNG cargoes to land in Europe this year,” said Kristy Kramer, vice president for gas & LNG research at Wood Mackenzie Ltd. “Regasification capacity is currently the major impediment to even more US LNG exports to Europe.”

Europe’s gas storage levels are still more than 90% full, after dropping from almost 96% in mid-November, according to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe. The recent cold snap has coincided with additional outages at facilities in Norway. 

Traders are also closely watching activity in China, which is loosening Covid-related restrictions that have crimped energy demand. A freeze in Asia could increase international competition for LNG.

“Germany has one of the highest prices for LNG now, and that has helped to attract cargoes,” said Peter Heydecker, executive director of trading at German energy company EnBW. “We have a huge need now, but we compete globally. We still see enough LNG coming, but that can quickly change and we need to keep an eye on Asia’s demand.”

Dutch front-month futures, the European benchmark, rose 1% to €150.80 per megawatt-hour by 1:33 p.m. in Amsterdam. The UK equivalent contract increased 1.3%.