LNG exports from three projects on the Australian east coast came to 22.36mn metric tons in 2020, up over 1% year/year despite the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the latest data published by Gladstone Ports Corporation on January 6.  Revenue though would have been lower as the oil price, to which LNG exports are pegged, fell sharply. 

Exports to China last year were 14.98mn mt, down from 15.87mn mt in 2019. South Korea imported 3.27mn mt last year, up from 2.84mn mt in the previous year while Japan imported 1.5mn mt, up from 1.2mn mt in 2019, the data showed. Exports to Malaysia were 1.99mn mt versus 1.68mn mt in the previous year.   

Exports in December were 2.19mn mt as against 1.93mn mt in the same month of 2019. China imported 1.4mn mt of LNG last month, up from 1.36mn mt in December 2019, the data showed. South Korea imported 280,571 mt, up from 237,657 mt, while shipments to Japan came to 322,572 mt, compared with 68,327 mt in the same month of the previous year. Malaysia imported 185,432 mt of LNG versus 124,648 mt a year earlier. 

The projects are APLNG; Gladstone LNG and Queensland Curtis LNG.