据路透社新加坡12月14日消息，亚洲液化天然气的现货价格结束了连续三周下跌的态势并于本周收高，随着冬季的到来，人们对取暖用天然气的需求预计会增加。
但因亚洲最大的天然气需求中心东京、北京和首尔下周大部分时间气温将高于正常水平，美国和俄罗斯的现货供应增加，亚洲液化天然气的现货价格涨幅有限。
一些业内消息人士称，1月交付的现货价格从8.50美元/mmBtu至9.10美元/mmBtu小幅上涨约10美分至约8.90美元/mmBtu。
2月份交付价格也小幅上涨，估计在每百万英热9.10美元至9.30美元之间，价格曲线保持期货溢价水平。
一位新加坡液化天然气贸易商表示：“现货市场可能已经触底，价格相当平稳，我听到有很多人在寻找货物。”
中国作为全球第二大液化天然气进口国，随着今年冬天中国政府将更多家庭改用天然气供暖，中国已提高国内天然气产量和进口量，以满足日益增长的需求。
周五官方数据显示，中国11月天然气产量增长10％，达到143亿立方米，创历史新高。
路透社的计算结果显示，今年冬天中国又有329万户家庭改用天然气供暖，比去年增加的还要多。但分析师表示，这一增长不一定会提振中国的整体消费。
一位熟悉中国市场的贸易商表示：“直到现在，中国的需求还在增加，但它并没有对库存造成太大影响。”
他表示，由于市场预计下周温度较往常更加温暖，中国的液化天然气买家在决定增加这种超冷燃料的进口之前，正采取观望态度。
曹海斌 摘译自 路透社
原文如下：
Asian prices snap three-week losing streak as winter kicks in
Asian spot prices for liquefied natural gas (LNG) snapped a three-week losing streak to end higher this week, with the But gains were limited amid forecasts of warmer-than-usual temperatures for most of next week in Tokyo, Beijing and Seoul, the top demand centers for natural gas in Asia, and as more spot supply entered the market from the United States and Russia.
Spot prices for January delivery edged up about 10 cents to around $8.90 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), with cargoes trading from as low as $8.50 per mmBtu to as high as $9.10 per mmBtu, several industry sources said.
Prices for February delivery also inched higher and were estimated at around $9.10 to $9.30 per mmBtu, keeping the price curve in contango.
“The (spot) market has probably bottomed out with (prices) being pretty flat and I am hearing of more people looking for cargoes,” said a Singapore-based LNG trader.
China, the world’s No. 2 LNG importer, has ramped up both domestic gas production and imports to meet rising demand as the government switches more households to gas heating this winter.
China’s November natural gas output climbed 10 percent to a record-high of 14.3 billion cubic meters (bcm), official data showed It has switched another 3.29 million households to gas heating this winter, Reuters calculations show, more than it added last year. But analysts said the increase would not necessarily boost overall consumption in the country.
“Till now, China’s demand is increasing, but it has not affected the inventory too much,” a trader familiar with the Chinese market said.
With forecasts of a warmer-than-usual week next week, LNG buyers in China are taking a wait-and-see approach before deciding to ramp up imports of the super-chilled fuel, he said.
