Stephen Stapczynski
@sstapczynski.bsky.social
The LNG nerd on Bluesky Energy & commodities reporter at Bloomberg News in Singapore. Opinions my own Interests include natural gas, LNG, oil, power, coal, nuclear, renewables, climate change
GAS TURBINE SHORTAGE 🚨⚡ Orders for turbines for natural gas power plants are vastly outpacing supply, threatening the world’s ability to keep pace with rising electricity demand 🧵 Thread on how we got here and what it means for power-hungry nations www.bloomberg.com/features/202...
NEW LNG IMPORTER SOON? 🇳🇿🚢 New Zealand moves forward with plans to build a new LNG import terminal as domestic gas production falters www.1news.co.nz/2025/10/01/g...
Weak Chinese LNG demand is good news for Europe 🇨🇳🤝🇪🇺 📉 China's imports are poised to fall 22% in Sept due in part to milder weather, rising domestic output. China is the world's top LNG buyer 👍 That'll free-up supply for gas-hungry rivals elsewhere (like those in Europe)
AI data centers are sending US power bills soaring, Bloomberg analysis shows 🇺🇸⚡📈 Wholesale prices more than doubled since 2020 in some markets, but those increases arent equal Of the nodes where prices rose, over 70% are within 50 miles of significant data center activity
MANY SUCH CASES: Louisiana’s utility regulator approved Entergy’s plan to build three new gas-fired plants to power Meta’s data center
Power demand on the largest US grid is poised to surge thanks to the AI boom 🇺🇸 ⚡️📈 PJM Interconnection, which manages the 13-state system stretching from Washington DC to Illinois, expects peak summer demand to jump by 38% by 2035 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
More countries are looking to buy US oil & gas to make Trump happy 🇺🇸🛢️ 🇰🇷 South Korea's trade minister said the country will consider buying more to reduce their trade surplus with the US ⚠️ Vietnam, EU & Taiwan are considering to do the same to avoid Trump's proposed tariffs
Vietnam aims to complete its first nuclear power plant by 2030 to boost energy security 🇻🇳❤️☢️ 📝 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh ordered the REMARKABLY ambitious target today ⚠️ This comes after Vietnam was hit with blackouts in 2023 due to hot weather, coal power malfunctions
More LNG ships divert to Europe in search of better profits 🚢🚢 🇪🇺 At least 6 ships changed course away from Asia to Europe since last week 📈 Europe needs more LNG after losing Russian pipeline gas via Ukraine 🙅♂️ Asia demand is subdued as winter ends (and prices too high)
More LNG vessels are diverting to Europe to take advantage of better prices 🚢 📈 Four diversions from Asia to Europe in the last week. Europe needs LNG to replace the lost Russian pipeline gas supply via Ukraine 📉 Asia doesn't need the LNG as demand remains subdued
The US sanctioned two of Russia’s active LNG export plants 🇺🇸 🇷🇺 ⚠️ 📝The restrictions targeted Portovaya and Vysotsk, Russia’s smaller LNG plants 🚢 The US (the world’s biggest LNG exporter) has been focused on halting Russia’s plans to expand gas sales
China will keep tapping coal 🇨🇳❤️🪨 📈 China's top industry coal group expects output to rise to 1.5% in 2025, the ninth consecutive annual increase 🔥 Demand also seen rising 1% ⛏️ China has expanded mining capacity so that supply runs ahead of demand www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
China to Keep Tapping Coal to Meet Its Energy Security Needs
Cheap coal will continue to provide the ballast for China’s energy security in the coming year, according to the country’s top industry grouping.
bloomberg.com
The UK’s wind turbines have overtaken gas plants for the first time as the number one source of power 🇬🇧🌬️ www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Japan’s shipowners plan to spend $6 billion to boost its fleet of LNG tankers through 2030 🇯🇵 🚢 💰 Top three shipowners to increase fleet 40% by end of decade 👉 This big investments will ensure a stable supply of energy and profit from the growing market
US gas traders checking the weather at end of 2024
Biden will order a ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling 🇺🇸🛢️ Unlike other executive actions that can be easily undone, Biden’s declaration is rooted in a 72-year-old law that gives the White House wide discretion to permanently protect US waters www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Biden to Ban New Oil Drilling Over Vast Stretch of US Atlantic, Pacific Waters
President Joe Biden is set to order a ban on new offshore oil and gas development across some 625 million acres of US coastal territory, ruling out the sale of drilling rights in Atlantic and Pacific ...
bloomberg.com
Austria says other natural gas sources are compensating for the loss of Russian fuel via Ukraine 🇦🇹 👍 Gas imports via Germany and Italy are sufficient, says Austria‘s grid manager “Domestic supply to end users is currently being managed from imports, storage and production.”
END OF AN ERA: Russia's oldest gas export route to Europe halted For over five decades, Europe benefited from a (relatively) steady flow of Russian gas via pipelines in Ukraine. That deal has now expired While that won't trigger shortages in Europe, it does mark a historic shift Thread🧵
GAZPROM SAYS GAS FLOWS TO EUROPE VIA UKRAINE HAVE HALTED⚠️ 📄 The key transit deal expired without renewal 🇪🇺 Some central European countries that have relied on the flows may be forced to source more expensive gas elsewhere (like LNG) or use more fuel in storage
The US strengthens its position as the world's top LNG exporter 🇺🇸🚢 ⚠️ An expansion to the Corpus Christi LNG plant in Texas just began production 📈 This comes after a new plant in Louisiana, Plaquemines, started exports last week 🏆 US LNG exports to double by 2030
US natural gas prices are rising as forecasters expect frigid weather across the country in January 📈 🥶 NOAA hiked the chances of colder-than-normal wether in its 8-14 day forecast
If you’re a guy in your early 20s, buy an LNG tanker Go into debt if you have to You can get a 24-year old tanker for $20 million Having an LNG tanker communicates status. And the LNG market is set to rapidly grow as nations shift away from coal
The US just cemented itself as the world’s top LNG exporter 🇺🇸 🚢 📈 The eighth facility, Venture Global’s Plaquemines, began exports today 🇪🇺 First shipment is on its way to Germany. European buyers are turning to US LNG to replace Russian pipeline gas
This sanctioned Russian LNG shipment traveled around the world looking for a buyer. Now it's giving up🚢 🇷🇺 A dark fleet tanker loaded gas at Arctic LNG 2 in August. It just docked at a Russian port to likely put the gas into storage 🇺🇸 Buyers dont want to break US restrictions
OECD's plan to ban foreign fossil fuel finance collapses 🌎🛢️ 📝 The EU, UK, US & others had sought the deal to limit export-credit agency finance for global fossil-fuel projects ⚠️ But weeks of negotiations couldn’t overcome concerns about energy security
