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Market Chatter: Asian LNG Demand to Decline Further in 2026 Amid War-Driven Price Surge

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Asian demand for liquefied natural gas is set to fall for a second straight year, with analysts estimating 2026 levels to drop 3% to 10% from a year earlier due to surging prices driven by supply disruptions in the Middle East, Reuters reported Thursday.

Demand fell sharply in Northeast Asia, where alternative power sources like coal and nuclear energy are available and where some countries experienced colder temperatures than in 2025, the report said.

Demand in China, a key LNG consumer, is reportedly projected to fall by 6.1 million metric tons over the year due to reduced industrial consumption and deferred stocking amid high prices. Asian spot LNG prices have more than doubled to $26 per million British thermal units, their highest in more than three years, since the US-Iran conflict began in late February.

has reached out to the International Energy Agency for comment. In its Q3 gas market report, the IEA indicated a possible 0.5% moderation in Asian natural gas demand this year due to the current energy crisis.

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

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Commodities

Farm Bill Clears Senate Committee, Setting Up Floor Vote on Year-Round E15

The US Senate Agriculture Committee voted Wednesday to move the Agricultural Act of 2026, also known as the Farm Bill, to the full Senate floor, including a provision allowing year-round sales of E15 gasoline.The bill now moves to the Senate floor for the full body to consider sometime before an October adjournment.The House passed year-round E15 legislation in May by a bipartisan 218-203 vote.The Renewable Fuels Association welcomed the move. "Today's passage of the farm bill by the Senate Agriculture Committee represents an important step toward finally securing nationwide, year-round E15," said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper."As expressed throughout the farm bill process, there is broad bipartisan support for making lower-cost E15 available to consumers all year long-especially at a time when pump prices are on the rise and fuel supplies are tightening," Cooper noted.A recent US Department of Energy report found that E15 has been selling for 47 cents per gallon less than standard E10 gasoline on average, for an 11.5% discount.Year-round E15 also has strong support from President Trump, according to the RFA.In a statement, the RFA said that in a supplemental funding request to Congress in June, the Trump administration requested, "... a fix that codifies the permanent, year-round sale of E15, an urgent and needed policy change that would expand consumer choice, support domestic fuel production, and provide additional flexibility in fuel markets."

Commodities

US Natural Gas Update: Futures Slip Ahead of Smaller-Than-Normal Storage Build

US natural gas futures softened further in after-hours trading Wednesday as the market looked ahead to government data expected to show a smaller-than-normal increase in storage inventories.The front-month Henry Hub contract and the continuous contract each fell 0.92% to $2.892 per million British thermal units.Analysts polled by The Wall Street Journal expect the US Energy Information Administration to report a 48 billion cubic feet increase in natural gas inventories for the week ended Sept. 11, well below the five-year average build of 74 Bcf for the same week.As of Sept. 4, US natural gas inventories were 2.7% below year-earlier levels but 4.8% above the five-year seasonal average, indicating that overall supplies remained adequate.On the fundamentals side, warmer-than-normal temperatures are helping keep power burn elevated, while record domestic production continues, Pinebrook Energy Advisors said.Barchart, citing data from The Commodity Weather Group, said Wednesday that above-average temperatures are expected across the South and Southeast through Sept. 25. The warm late-summer temperatures are expected to support demand for natural gas from power generators as air-conditioning use continues into early autumn.Celsius Energy data showed a 0.9 Bcf increase in powerburn on Tuesday, putting Sept. 15 powerburn at 42.9 Bcf. For the week ended Tuesday, powerburn averaged 43.7 Bcf/d, up 4.8 Bcf/d from the same week a year earlier.Total US natural gas demand on Wednesday was pegged at 76.3 Bcf/d, up 2.4% year over year, Barchart said, citing BNEF data.On the supply side, US Lower 48 dry gas production remained strong at 112.3 Bcf/d on Wednesday, up 4.0% from a year earlier, Barchart said.Estimated net gas flows to US liquefied natural gas export terminals were 18.5 Bcf/d on Wednesday, down 4.7% from the previous week."LNG exports remain near 19 Bcf per day and are poised to show another leg of growth before the end of the year," Pinebrook Energy said.

Commodities

US Power Update: Prices Mostly Higher Wednesday Afternoon, 5 Regions Top $100/MWh

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