ANALYSIS-China LNG buyers expand trading after adding more US, Qatari contracts

ANALYSIS-China LNG buyers expand trading after adding more US, Qatari contracts

By Chen Aizhu, Emily Chow and Marwa Rashad

SINGAPORE/LONDON, Aug 21 (Reuters) - China's liquefied natural (LNG) gas importers are starting up or expanding trading desks in London and Singapore to better manage their growing and diversified supply portfolios in an increasingly volatileglobal market

The beefed-up trading presence of Chinese importers puts them in direct competition with such global heavyweights as Shell SHEL.L, BP BP.L, Equinor EQNR.OL and TotalEnergies TTEF.PA for a market that the International Energy Agency says doubled in value to $450 billion last year.