Regional LNG: Kogas sees jump in Q1 LNG sales

Korea Gas Corp. (KOGAS), a state-run importer and distributor of liquefied natural gas (LNG), said its domestic LNG sales in the first two months of 2004 rose to an all-time high of 5.38 million tons, The Kore Times reported Thursday.

The sales volume represented a 25 percent surge from the same period last year, according to KOGAS officials. They said LNG demand from local power stations soared 97 percent due to temporary suspension of a major nuclear power plant's operations.

``KOGAS' LNG sales for the first quarter are expected to swell by 1.5 million tons to 7.75 million tons due to extended maintenance of some local atomic power plants,'' said a KOGAS spokesman, forecasting a strong rebound in the company's operating profit.(*)