据路透社3月18日伦敦报道，英国3月份进口的液化天然气（LNG）达到了2015年10月以来的最高水平，促使英国天然气批发价格跌至18个多月来的最低水平。

英国将在3月份接收14批货物，本周将有6艘油轮。这个月，该国有望进口118万吨液化天然气，相当于16.3亿立方米天然气，即每天5200万立方米。

在过去半年来，主要来自美国和俄罗斯的供应大幅增加，同时亚洲需求低迷，促使更多的货物运往欧洲海岸。

这对英国的天然气批发价格造成了沉重的压力，自去年9月份每色姆（therm）80便士的最高价格以来，英国天然气批发价格已经下降了一半。这是特别不寻常的，因为在冬季，当天然气被用于取暖时，价格往往会上涨。

周一，日前交易的天然气批发价格为每色姆37.80便士，本周有六艘液化天然气油轮抵达英国的三个进口终端。

在过去的六个月里，输油管系统中的液化天然气输送率一直增高，使液化天然气在总天然气供应中所占的比例从2017年12月的2%提高到3月的近30%。

随着新的生产和出口设施投入使用，人们期待已久的美国供应开始出现，液化天然气行业正在发生转变。

2017年12月启用的俄罗斯亚马尔设施也改变了欧洲的能源格局。

卡塔尔作为英国历史上最主要的液化天然气供应国，仍然是世界上最大的液化天然气生产国，但未来几年将不得不扩大产能，以保持领先地位。

液化天然气供应的激增，以及更为灵活的供应合同和定价机制，已将卡塔尔在英国液化天然气供应中的份额从去年的39%和2017年的87%稀释至今年迄今的34%。

詹晓晶摘自路透社

原文如下：

Surging LNG imports drive down British wholesale gas prices

Britain’s imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for March are at their highest levels since October 2015, helping British wholesale gas prices slide to a more than 18-month low.

Britain is set to receive 14 cargoes in March, with six tankers scheduled for this week. The country is on track to import 1.18 million tonnes of LNG this month, amounting to 1.63 billion cubic metres of gas or 52 million cubic metres a day.

The influx of LNG follows a large boost in supplies in the past half a year, mainly from the United States and Russia, and subdued demand in Asia, sending more cargoes to European shores.

This has weighed heavily on wholesale gas prices in Britain which have halved since a September peak of 80 pence per therm. This is especially unusual as prices tend to rise in winter when gas is used for heating.

On Monday, day-ahead wholesale gas prices were 37.80 pence per therm, with six LNG tankers converging on Britain’s three import terminals this week.

Consistently high send-out rates of regasified gas into the pipeline system over the past six months has also increased the share of LNG in total gas supply to almost 30 percent in March from rates as low as 2 percent in December 2017.

The LNG industry is being transformed as long-awaited supplies from the United States start to come onstream with the commissioning of new production and export facilities.

Russian LNG from the Arctic Yamal facility, which opened in December 2017, has also changed the European energy landscape.

Qatar, Britain’s dominant historical supplier, remains the top LNG producer in the world but will have to expand production capacity in coming years to keep the top spot.

The proliferation in LNG supply, as well as more flexible supply contracts and pricing mechanisms, has diluted Qatar’s share of British LNG supplies to 34 percent so far this year, from 39 percent last year and 87 percent in 2017.