LNG

Despite the LNG market seeing a reasonable amount of activity on both enquiry and fixing, the levels for both ships have barely moved once again. Charterers have been out looking for modern 2-stroke ships but rates particularly in the Atlantic are very flat while in the Pacific levels moved more against enquiry, they still didn’t excite much. Most of the market focus has been on the period enquiry which has suggested that those players out looking could see an improvement in the market but our period levels suggest it is not yet forthcoming.

The BLNG1 Aus-Japan moved positively again on the 174cbm up $2,216 finishing at $48,122 while the 160cbm moved $770 up to $36,165. The BLNG2 Houston-Cont wavered with both the 174cbm and 160cbm indexes gaining less than $1,000 each, the 174cbm finished at $43,040 while the delta we have seen of around $10,000 PD between the 2-strokes and TFDE’s held and the 160cbm finished at $32,572. BLNG3 Houston-Japan was mostly flat with levels remaining relatively unchanged at $49,389 and $39,154 for the 174cbm and 160cbm respectively.

In the Period market, despite lots of talk, the level moved little with 6-months unchanged at $74,600 and the 1-year gaining $433 to $80,100 but the 3-year lost some value moving down to $81,700.

 

LPG

Despite few reports coming from brokers on actual ships getting fixed, there has been a strengthening of rates this week. The East has seen owners increasing their ideas for freight and with spot cargoes being taken on higher than last done there is stable footing for levels. BLPG1 Ras Tanura-Chiba rose by $6.643 to a close of $84.786 giving a daily TCE earning equivalent of $67,239.

Across the Atlantic the US market has seen few cargoes actually fixing but what has been done has improved freight levels, with both BLPG2 and BLPG3 seeing increases. BLPG2 Houston-Flushing gained a modest $3.2 to a close of $80.6 and a TCE earning of $87,790, while BLPG3 Houston-Chiba made the biggest jump of all three routes on the week gaining $6.857 to finish at $145.857 and a daily TCE of $70,528.