Multiple Gas Market Hubs, The People’S Republic Of China’S Energy Security, And Regional Cooperation In Asia

On March 26, 2018, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) launched Shanghai crude futures as part of its efforts to enhance the region’s energy security. The PRC’s crude futures performed far beyond the market’s expectation in terms of liquidity, volume, and price signal, and thus reignited interest in launching natural gas futures. Any futures of natural gas or liquefied natural gas will be heavily derivatized from efficient benchmark price indexes, which are assessed and reported at the regional market hubs. Instead of having a couple of centralized exchange centers or virtual trading hubs, the web of efficient multiple regional physical and marketing hubs strategically located across the nation would contribute to regional cooperation between the PRC, Japan, and the Republic of Korea; fundamentally change global gas market dynamics; enhance the PRC’s energy security; and support Asian pricing index development. It is the prime time to fast track the establishment of such market hubs in the PRC. We study market participants’ needs and functions of market hubs, identify key success factors of establishing such market hubs, recommend what would make commercially viable and efficient hubs in the PRC in a 14-stage blueprint, and evaluate major policy implications for the PRC, and broadly Asia.