9月份液化天然气（LNG）运输价格飙升，明年可能会保持高位，这得益于新工厂产量的上升，以及人们担心液化天然气船只的需求将超过供应。

经纪人和交易员表示，从大西洋流域向亚洲运送液化天然气的船只价格已从8月底的每日75000美元跃升至本周的每天90000美元至95000美元。

从2015年到2017年，天然气运输价格一直徘徊在每天30000美元到40000美元之间，由于从美国和俄罗斯北极地区的新码头运输液化天然气的距离更长，且中国的需求激增，船只数量有限等原因，导致天然气运输价格有所上升。

航运公司在本月的收益电话会议上，几乎看不到他们有下滑的迹象，且预测2019年或更长时间内的利率将会很高。

Hoegh LNG首席执行官Sveinung Stohle对投资者和分析师表示，他预计未来两三年内，利率将“在当前水平上有所提高”。

强劲的液化天然气需求推动了航运价格的上涨。日本和韩国的公用事业一直在为冬季储备液化天然气，将天然气价格推高至四年来的最高季节性水平。夏季热浪过后，需求比以往更强劲，意味着储备被抽走，用于为额外的空调供电。

对液化天然气日益增长的需求使本来就在上涨的海运价格雪上加霜，部分原因是俄罗斯诺瓦泰克的亚马尔液化天然气终端和美国液化天然气终端出口的增加。

Golar LNG公司的首席执行官Iain Ross本月表示，预计未来两年液化天然气产量将增长23%，这将需要增加100艘船舶。但只有66艘被安排及时交付。

詹晓晶摘自路透社

原文如下：

LNG shipping rates spike with no respite seen through 2019

The price of shipping liquefied natural gas (LNG) has spiked in September and is likely to remain high next year, buoyed by rising production from new plants and concerns that demand for LNG vessels will outpace supply.

The rate for vessels shipping LNG from the Atlantic Basin to Asia has jumped to $90,000 to $95,000 a day this week from $75,000 a day at the end of August, brokers and traders said.

Rates, which broadly hovered around $30,000 to $40,000 a day from 2015 to 2017, have risen due to longer distances covered to transport LNG from new terminals in the United States and Arctic Russia, surging demand in China and a limited number of ships.

Shipping firms see little sign of them slipping soon, predicting high rates for 2019 or longer, during their earnings calls this month.

Hoegh LNG Chief Executive Sveinung Stohle told investors and analysts he expected rates to “increase on the levels where they are, certainly, for the next two to three years”.

Strong LNG demand has helped drive the shipping rate rise. Japanese and South Korean utilities having been stocking up on LNG for winter, driving prices to a seasonal four-year high. Demand was stronger than usual after a summer heatwave meant reserves were drawn down to power extra air-conditioning.

This increasing demand for LNG has compounded already rising shipping rates, partly driven by the ramping up of exports at Novatek’s Yamal LNG terminal and at U.S. LNG terminals.

Iain Ross, the chief executive of LNG shipping company Golar LNG, said this month the forecast of a 23 percent rise in LNG production over two years would require 100 extra vessels. But only 66 were scheduled to be delivered in time, he said.