'..oil prices are not closely correlated with the marginal value of a ton of LNG. The development of a liquid LNG spot market would-will, in my view-allow contracts to be indexed to a price that reflects gas values..'<blockquote>'I predicted the demise of oil-based pricing, and increased reliance on the spot market or long-term contracts indexed to spot prices. There were three basic parts to my argument. The first was that the large increase in supplies coming online in 2015-2017 combined with the even-then apparent slowdown in demand in China, and the likely decline from Japan due to the restarting of its nuclear plants, would lead to a large overhang of cargoes that would need to find a home. The trading of these cargoes would lead to increased spot market activity.
The second part of my argument was that the dynamics of liquidity would then take over. Liquidity creates liquidity. More spot market activity reduces the transactions costs of trading spot, which leads to more spot trading. There is a virtuous cycle in liquidity, and the increase in spot trading to dispose of contracted of but now unneeded cargoes would start the cycle.
The third part of my argument was that a robust spot market would support gas indexing, as opposed to oil indexing, in term contracts. Oil indexing is akin to the drunk looking for his wallet under the lamppost, because the light is best there, not because he lost it there. LNG buyers and sellers looking for a price benchmark looked to oil in the early days because in the 70s oil was a substitute for gas in power generation, so there was some connection between the markets, but mainly because oil was the only lamppost around. But especially now, with gas and oil having little fundamental connection in either consumption or production, oil prices are not closely correlated with the marginal value of a ton of LNG. The development of a liquid LNG spot market would-will, in my view-allow contracts to be indexed to a price that reflects gas values. This would also permit the development of a paper hedging market.
..
The next few years will be interesting in LNG. I am even more convinced that in 3 to 5 years the market will look nothing like it does today. It will look more like the oil, iron ore, and coal markets. Furthermore, in the near-to-medium term it will be more of a buyer’s market, and indeed, these things are connected. The surfeit of supply that makes it a buyer’s market will catalyze the development of a spot market.'
- Streetwise Professor,
On the Spot: How a Surfeit of Supply is Transforming LNG Trading, October 30, 2015</blockquote>
Context<blockquote>
'..I'm sticking with my forecast of $10 to $20 a barrel..'(The Electric Universe) - LLPFusion - 'Power plants which are simple, cheap, and small .. have no noise, no odor, and no hazard..'(Global) - '..a revolutionary shift to net zero emissions by 2080..'</blockquote>