The Netherlands was the top destination for US liquefied natural gas supplies for the second month in a row in June, according to the Department of Energy’s newest LNG monthly report.
The report shows that US terminals shipped 45.9 Bcf of LNG to the Netherlands in June, 45.6 Bcf to France, 24.7 Bcf to Japan, 23.6 Bcf to China, and 22.7 Bcf to Argentina.
These five countries took 49.5 percent of total US LNG exports in June.
In May, US terminals shipped 64.5 Bcf of LNG to the Netherlands, while the UK was the top destination for US LNG supplies for six months in a row prior to that.
The Netherlands has expanded its capacity with the launching of Gasunie’s Eemshaven FSRU-based LNG terminal that mostly receives cargoes from the US.
The country’s first FSRU-based terminal adds to the Gate LNG import facility in Rotterdam, also operated by Gasunie and Vopak.
US LNG exports rise 9.1 percent
The US exported in total 327.8 Bcf of LNG in June, up by 9.1 percent compared to the same month last year and a drop of 10.6 percent from the prior month, the DOE report shows.
US terminals shipped 108 LNG cargoes in June, compared to 96 cargoes in June 2022 and 127 cargoes in May this year, according to the report.
Sempra’s Cameron LNG plant sent 29 shipments during June, Cheniere’s Sabine Pass plant sent 27 cargoes and its Corpus Christi terminal shipped 18 cargoes.
In addition, Freeport LNG sent 21 cargoes, Cove Point LNG sent 7 cargoes, and Elba Island LNG dispatched 6 shipments.
4924 LNG cargoes
According to DOE’s report, the weighted average price by export terminal reached 7.09/MMBtu in June.
Moreover, the report said that in the period from February 2016 through June 2023, the US exported 4924 cargoes or 15,696.5 Bcf to 44 countries.
South Korea remains the top destination for US LNG with 529 cargoes, followed by Japan with 401 cargoes, the UK with 390 cargoes, France with 377 cargoes, and Spain with 375 cargoes.
Besides these five countries, the Netherlands, China, India, Turkey, and Brazil are in the top ten as well.