Spain exported more LNG than it imported for the first time ever in the week ending Sunday as 430,400 cubic meters was reloaded onto tankers, data from gas grid operator Enagas showed Monday.
Three tankers were reloaded during the week, one at Cartagena with 158,800 cu m of LNG, one at Huelva with 135,600 cu m and one at Mugardos with 136,000 cu m, the company said.
This compared to an LNG intake of 282,900 cu m from five tankers at the country's six terminals during the same week, resulting in a net outflow of 147,500 cu m - the first week on record that Spain has been a net exporter of the product.
Overall, LNG throughput into the country's system totaled 1.50 TWh during the same week, down 11.0% from the same week last year, led by a sharp decline at Cartagena.
Throughput at the terminal on Spain's southern coast was just 200 MWh during the week, down from 190 GWh in the same week last year.
Elsewhere, throughput at Mugardos was also down significantly, falling 58.5% year on year to 158.4 GWh with zero throughput from Friday through Sunday.
Meanwhile throughput was down 18.4% at Bilbao to 297.2 GWh and down 4.0% at Barcelona to 465.5 GWh.
Offsetting the declines, throughput at Sagunto more than tripled to 255.5 GWh and increased 76.1% year on year at Huelva to 319.7 GWh.
LNG stocks on Sunday were 13.1 TWh, equivalent to 43.1 days' operational demand, Enagas said.
Total Spanish demand during the week fell 17.2% year on year to 4.66 TWh while pipeline inflows during the week fell 10.5% year on year to 3.45 TWh, Enagas added.
