Platts: Asia eyes hubs, trade

Singapore's ambition of becoming a trading hub for LNG is panning out well given the ongoing evolution of trading and demand patterns, while Japan is marshalling its forces to organize a new market structure.

Ministers and senior officials from the 18-country East Asian Summit region have launched, as promised, their yearlong study into natural gas markets with an eye to secure "affordable" and "sustainable" LNG in the consumer-producer region.

The study was proposed by METI state minister Kazuyoshi Akaba during an EAS energy ministerial meeting in Bali, Indonesia, where he co-chaired the meeting with Indonesian energy and mines minister Jero Wacik.

The proposed study -- the first of its kind on this scale for the LNG market -- was adopted by all 18-member states: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, China, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and the US. MORE

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