Singapore says LNG traded by its firms usually bypasses the country
The government responded to Indonesia’s claim that some LNG sold to Singapore was resold elsewhere, while saying Indonesian pipeline gas serves domestic demand.
Singapore’s Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry (METI) said LNG cargoes handled by traders based in the country generally travel straight from suppliers to their final destinations. Its explanation followed Indonesian minister Bahlil Lahadalia’s suspicion that some Indonesian LNG had been resold to other countries.
Bahlil, Indonesia’s energy and mineral resources minister, said Indonesia had sent 148 LNG cargoes to Singapore. He believed some of that supply had been exported elsewhere rather than used in Singapore.
In comments to Channel News Asia cited on 1 November 2026, METI said Singapore hosts more than 50 companies that buy, market and trade LNG internationally. Their major suppliers include the United States, Australia and Malaysia. Traders make commercial decisions about the cargoes, but the physical shipments usually do not pass through Singapore, the ministry said.
METI separately said natural gas received from Indonesia by pipeline supplies Singapore’s domestic market and is not re-exported. Indonesia began cutting those pipeline exports on 24 October to redirect gas towards its own energy needs.
Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) said the reduction amounted to about 17 billion British thermal units (Btu) a day for 18 days, equivalent to less than 2 per cent of Singapore’s total daily gas demand.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on 25 October that Singapore expected all parties to honour their commercial contracts. Bahlil maintained that Indonesia’s reduced deliveries remained within the minimum supply requirements of the agreements and did not breach its contractual obligations.
