LNG exports from the Gladstone port in Australia’s Queensland dropped by about 7.1 percent in April due to lower volumes going to Japan, according to the monthly data by Gladstone Ports Corporation.
Curtis Island is home to the Santos-operated GLNG plant, the ConocoPhillips-led APLNG terminal, and Shell’s QCLNG facility. These are the only LNG export facilities on Australia’s east coast.
Last month, about 1,899 million tonnes of LNG or 29 cargoes left the three Gladstone terminals on Curtis Island.
This compares to 2,046 million tonnes or 32 cargoes in April 2022, the data shows.
Compared to the previous month when LNG exports reached some 1,745 million tonnes of LNG or 27 cargoes, April LNG exports rose by about 8.8 percent.
Most of April LNG exports or 1,100 million tonnes landed in China, marking a rise of 2 percent when compared to 1,078 million tonnes last year.
Besides China, volumes to South Korea rose to 278,549 tonnes last month from 222,687 tonnes in the same month last year.
GPC also reported that 206,290 tonnes of LNG were sent to Japan in April, down 44.7 percent from 373,568 tonnes last year.
Volumes to Singapore and Malaysia and Singapore rose to 142,456 tonnes and 119,480 tonnes from 134,954 tonnes and 186,475 tonnes last year, respectively, while Gladstone LNG exports to Taiwan remained almost flat at 52,261 tonnes, the data shows.