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Natural gas has been fuelling industrial and economic growth across developed and developing countries. Its usage is set to increase as it is also being considered as a low-carbon fuel that can help make the transition to a no-to-low-carbon economy. Argus is your irreplaceable source of price information, news, expert analysis and fundamentals data for international natural gas markets.
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Latest natural gas news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global natural gas industry.
Singapore LNG secures bio-LNG bunkering capability
Singapore LNG secures bio-LNG bunkering capability
Singapore, 9 October (Argus) — State-owned Singapore LNG (SLNG) has secured certification to store, regasify and deliver bio-LNG, under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) framework, the firm announced today. The terminal is among one of the first in the region to secure this certification for the handling of bio-LNG. The certification will also support LNG and bio-LNG bunkering and trucking services that comply with sustainability and traceability requirements. SLNG held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Jetty 3 at its 11mn t/yr SLNG terminal on Jurong Island, announced on the same day. The new jetty is part of SLNG's strategy to expand its LNG and bio-LNG bunkering capabilities. It is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2028. Once completed, the expansion will provide up to 2mn t/yr of LNG bunker reloading capacity, including break bulk and other small-scale LNG operations. Jetty 3 will be the terminal's first dedicated facility for servicing small- and mid-scale LNG carriers with capacities ranging 5,800-80,000m³. The current infrastructure supports 1mn t/yr of LNG bunker reload. Jetty 3 will strengthen Singapore's ability to support the next phase of growth in LNG bunkering demand and reinforce its position as a leading global bunkering and LNG trading hub, said SLNG chief executive Leong Wei Hung. Consumption of LNG for bunkering declined by 13pc on the year to 58,600t in August from 67,000t a year earlier, while year-to-date demand totalled 435,600t up to August, according to the latest statistics released by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). By Naomi Ong Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
EU yields to pressure to delay methane rules
EU yields to pressure to delay methane rules
The one-year delay to the start of the MER is part of a package of measures aimed at reducing energy prices, write Maxim Krukov and Dafydd ab Iago London, 7 October (Argus) — The European Commission has agreed to delay by one year the implementation of the bloc's methane emissions regulation (MER), following months of pressure from member states and the oil and gas industry. But the commission is still facing calls to delay implementation even further, and make wider changes to the law. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen confirmed on 6 October that the bloc would grant "flexibility" on the MER for an additional year, as part of a package of measures aimed at reducing energy prices. The new measures also include the establishment of a taskforce for joint energy procurement on behalf of EU member states, to build on the joint gas purchasing already in place under the bloc's AggregateEU platform . The taskforce will move the system from "simple matchmaking to aggregating demand", with a market operator handling joint procurement, von der Leyen says. For the MER, the revised timeframe means all new oil, gas and coal import contracts must be with exporters that meet the same monitoring, reporting and verification obligations as EU producers from 2028, rather than 2027 previously. Von der Leyen did not clarify whether the commission will amend the law or further soften enforcement, beyond its June recommendation that states refrain from imposing penalties for non-compliance over 2027-29. The legal obligation for compliance falls on EU importers so they — rather than exporters — would be subject to penalties. The one-year delay applies solely to the regulation's import provisions, EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen told the European Parliament, warning against potential attempts to make wider changes. "I would also warn against introducing different kinds of other demands," Jorgensen said. Parliament and EU member states will be able to suggest broader amendments to the MER after the commission has formally proposed legislation to delay the import provisions by a year. Multiple EU member states previously raised concerns about the law's implementation . When a "clear" majority of member states and many others say implementation is not possible within the current timeframe, the commission had to listen, Jorgensen said, when responding to calls from lawmakers for a postponement of the MER until 2030. "We can live with a one-year postponement, not of the whole regulation, but of the import provisions," he said. "Now the obligation is on member states to make sure that they are ready in one year," Jorgensen said, adding that "a lot of new" contracts have been signed in recent months. On the wrong side of 30 Yet some lawmakers are still calling for the new rules to be postponed until the end of the decade, with the announcement of a one-year delay appearing to have done little to quell criticism of the regulation. The EU should suspend the methane regulation not just for one year, but until 2030, German lawmaker Christian Ehler — a member of the parliament's largest political group, the centre-right EPP — says. "Otherwise we'll quite simply be sitting here again next year," he says. But suspending the methane regulation puts the EU's climate targets at risk and opens the door to further weakening of the rules, German Green lawmaker Jutta Paulus says. "With the announcement of the delay, the fossil fuel lobby has smelt blood and is already making further demands," according to Paulus, who led Parliament's negotiations with EU member states on the final text of the law in 2024. Jorgensen has rejected claims that the delay would weaken the bloc's climate ambitions, arguing that the law already positions Europe at the forefront of methane emissions reduction. But postponing the MER until 2030 would not "get the effects that we want with regards to fighting climate change and stopping the emissions of methane", he says. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Trans-Balkan gas tariff approach shifts
Trans-Balkan gas tariff approach shifts
London, 7 October (Argus) — Changes to tariff-setting along the gas delivery route from Greece to Ukraine could make the route more attractive for south-to-north gas deliveries, market participants told Argus . The previous bundled Route-1-3 products , designed primarily to support Ukraine's security of supply during the war, ceased to be available from 1 October this year. The new approach was developed as a longer-term commercial solution for the route and it allows shippers to book individual sections of the route separately, allowing greater flexibility over where gas enters or exits the corridor. Capacity is available for booking through standard daily, monthly, quarterly and annual products, replacing the previous special monthly end-to-end products. Shippers can also exit gas at any virtual trading point (VTP) along the route, subject to licensing and other regulatory requirements in each country where they trade. Tariffs in Greece and Bulgaria have been reduced, while regulators in Romania and Moldova have introduced conditional capacity products. Conditional capacity offers cheaper transit New conditional capacity discounts in Romania, Moldova and Ukraine could lower the cost of shipping gas northwards through the Trans-Balkan route, making supplies from Greece to Ukraine and Slovakia more competitive with alternative sources, market participants told Argus. Shippers transiting gas through Romania and Moldova towards Ukraine without accessing the countries' VTPs can benefit from discounted conditional capacity. Shipping gas to Ukraine using quarterly bookings and conditional capacity where available costs around €6/MWh from Bulgaria and €7.50/MWh from Greece, according to a trader. Traders can receive a 60pc discount on Romanian conditional capacity if they book entry capacity at Negru Voda 1/Kardam equal to the exit capacity booked at Isaccea 1/Orlovka. Further along the route, Moldova offers a 90pc discount on the entry tariff at Kaushany for annual and shorter-term capacity used to transit gas towards Ukraine, provided shippers book at least an equal amount of exit capacity at Grebenyky. And shippers moving gas northwards towards Ukraine can receive a 99pc discount on conditional capacity at Orlovka/Isaccea and Kaushany, provided they book at least an equivalent amount of entry capacity at Grebenyky for the same period. The revised structure could also make the corridor more relevant for deliveries beyond Ukraine, including towards Slovakia, a market participant said. There is currently little financial incentive to move gas into Ukrainian storage, limiting demand for south-to-north capacity, he added. But the route could become more attractive next year if storage economics improve or if traders seek to move gas further north towards central European markets. By Victoria Dovgal Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Australia's NSW limits new gas areas, backs supply
Australia's NSW limits new gas areas, backs supply
Sydney, 7 October (Argus) — Australia's New South Wales (NSW) government will limit future gas exploration to existing priority areas while backing new domestic gas supply projects, as part of a strategy aimed at avoiding east coast gas shortages and maintaining energy security during the transition to net-zero. The state's Future of Gas Statement released on 7 October confirmed no additional areas will be released for gas exploration beyond existing priority regions. The government has reaffirmed support for development including Santos' Narrabri Gas Project , the proposed Port Kembla LNG import terminal and the Bancannia and Pondie Range Troughs basin in western NSW to help bolster domestic supply and reduce reliance on interstate gas production. The statement also backed the principle that gas produced in NSW should primarily serve domestic consumers, and the state will continue to work with the federal government on measures to boost domestic gas availability and reduce reliance on interstate supply. The position aligns with the federal government's proposed Domestic Gas Reservation Bill , which would require LNG exporters to make up to 20pc of export volumes available to Australian consumers from 2028, subject to market and infrastructure constraints. The Australian Energy Market Operator's (Aemo) latest Gas Statement of Opportunities (GSOO) forecasts annual gas supply shortfalls from 2030 and peak-day shortages from 2029 , driven by declining production from southern Australian gas fields and constraints on transport and storage infrastructure across the east coast market. The NSW government also highlighted the growing role of gas-fired generation in the state's electricity system as ageing coal-fired power stations retire. Gas-fired power stations currently account for around 10pc of NSW's gas demand, but this is forecast to more than double by 2034. NSW currently has five gas-fired power stations with a combined capacity of 2.3GW, supplying around 2pc of the state's annual electricity generation. Aemo forecasts NSW will require an additional 3.2GW of gas-powered firming capacity by 2037-38, with gas-fired generation projected to account for around 6.6pc of the state's electricity supply by 2038 under its 2026 Integrated System Plan (ISP) "central scenario" — which assumes a balanced energy transition under current policy and investment expectations. Aemo forecasts Australia will need 17GW of gas-powered generation by 2050 to support the future electricity grid, up from less than 13GW currently. While backing new gas supply, NSW said renewable gases would play an increasing role in decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors. The government's Renewable Gas Production Program provides up to A$40mn ($28mn) in co-funding for biomethane production facilities, while its Hydrogen Strategy includes up to A$3bn in incentives to support the development of a domestic green hydrogen industry. NSW said renewable fuels could meet around 15pc of industrial gas demand by 2035. By Lawrence Wen Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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