March 15 - South Korea's imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) jumped 21 percent year-on-year in February, customs data showed on Monday.
South Korea, the world's second-largest LNG buyer after Japan, imported 3.4 million metric tones of LNG in February, up from 2.9 million metric tones a year earlier, according to the Korea Customs Service.
State-owned Korea Gas Corp (KOGAS) (036460.KS), the world's biggest corporate buyer of LNG and South Korea's sole wholesaler, said last Friday it sold 3.13 million metric tones of LNG in February, up 26 percent from a year earlier.
Thanks to the higher sales, LNG stocks held by KOGAS at the end of February dropped an estimated 24 percent to 1.9 million metric tones from a year earlier, Reuters calculations based on trade and sales data showed.
KOGAS last month said it aimed to sell about 28 million metric tones of LNG in 2010, compared with 24.6 million metric tones last year, as demand for power generation recovers along with the economy.
Driven by recovering power demand, imports of coal in February jumped 28 percent from a year earlier to 8.3 million metric tones, customs data also showed on Monday.
South Korea, the world's second-largest LNG buyer after Japan, imported 3.4 million metric tones of LNG in February, up from 2.9 million metric tones a year earlier, according to the Korea Customs Service.
State-owned Korea Gas Corp (KOGAS) (036460.KS), the world's biggest corporate buyer of LNG and South Korea's sole wholesaler, said last Friday it sold 3.13 million metric tones of LNG in February, up 26 percent from a year earlier.
Thanks to the higher sales, LNG stocks held by KOGAS at the end of February dropped an estimated 24 percent to 1.9 million metric tones from a year earlier, Reuters calculations based on trade and sales data showed.
KOGAS last month said it aimed to sell about 28 million metric tones of LNG in 2010, compared with 24.6 million metric tones last year, as demand for power generation recovers along with the economy.
Driven by recovering power demand, imports of coal in February jumped 28 percent from a year earlier to 8.3 million metric tones, customs data also showed on Monday.
