LNG: JERA Plans to Expand US LNG Buying: Reuters

Japan’s largest LNG buyer JERA plans to increase its purchase LNG from the USA to diversify its supply and meet demand growth spurred by data centres and AI, Reuters said.

• JERA buys 30m-35m mtpa of LNG, nearly half of which comes from the APAC region, including Australia, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
• "This accounts for very high exposure. My plan is to rebalance that and to make our LNG supply portfolio more diversified," Ryosuke Tsugaru, JERA's head of LNG division, told Reuters.
• JERA currently buys 3.2m mtpa of LNG from the US but did not specify the expected increase.
• JERA also plans to talk to Middle East suppliers such as Qatar for a more geographically balanced portfolio.
• Qatar is rapidly expanding its LNG supply but is struggling to secure long-term buyers due to more flexible contracts from other sources such as the US.