Regarding import LNG, are you satisfied with such a pricing mechanism?

Text/Fu Jiaxin

Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission issued the "Guiding Opinions on Improving the Price Mechanism of the Gasification Service Price Service of Import LPG" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions") to guide the local area Form the price level reasonably.

Why do you formulate policy documents on the price of gasification services for LNG receiving stations? What impact will the "Opinions" bring on the operator and user of the LNG receiving station? What is the significance of promoting my country's LNG receiving station fairly and open to third parties? This magazine reporters specially invited experts in the industry to discuss and analyze.

Gasification service price is not standardized

PetroChina Petrochemical: Good experts! According to your observations, why do the state specifically formulate policy documents on the price of gasification services for LNG receiving stations?

Bai Wan: LNG receiving station is an important channel for importing natural gas resources. At present, the total number of LNG receiving stations in the country has reached more than 20, and more than 10 other are under construction or planned. Overall, the scale has begun. After the establishment of the State Pipe Network Group Corporation, it vigorously promoted the interconnection of the pipeline network, and realized the Unicom of the pipe network and all LNG receiving stations. After importing LNG gasification, the basic conditions for entering the main line of the national management network have been available.

However, the gasification pricing mechanism of LNG receiving stations urgently needs to be adjusted, the residual capacity information of the receiving station is lagging behind, the resources of resources are high, the receiving stations in various places are unevenly hungry, and the safety coefficient of hot spots will be reduced. This is not conducive to meet the rigid demand of the market, especially the seasonal demand fluctuations, which leads to the shortage of natural gas and price deformed fluctuations that affect people's livelihood and production sometimes, and then stirred the staged unhealthy high opening of the CIP index, which is not conducive to economic stable operation and development.

Liu Yijun: In recent years, with the continuous advancement of the reform of the operating mechanism of the national oil and gas pipeline network, the LNG receiving station has gradually opened to third parties. During the operation of the receiving station, the connection between the operator and the user was very close. After the market -oriented reform, the receiving station requires more open services to third parties. This involves pricing issues. At present, the price of gasification services across the country is insufficient, and it is difficult to negotiate with third parties with the operator. In the early days of marketization, the government needs to regulate and guide this to increase market transparency.

Yang Xuemei: Due to the lack of uniform and clear gasification service pricing methods, the price of gasification services of LNG receiving stations in various provinces and cities in my country is largely different due to historical reasons, and some receiving stations have not adjusted service price adjustments according to the actual operation of the post -production operation. It is not conducive to fairness to third parties. In this regard, all parties generally hope that guidance will be introduced at the national level, guiding all localities to improve the pricing mechanism and standardize pricing behavior.

PetroChina Petrochemical: What do you think is the key?

Guo Feng: I think the most important thing is how to unify the price formation mechanism. The unity of the LNG receiving station price mechanism is not only an important manifestation of the national oil and gas system reform "controlling intermediate" policy, but also a requirement for the fairness and opening up of oil and gas infrastructure.

At present, the formation mechanism for the price of gasification services for LNG receiving stations is not uniform. Some receiving stations follow the prices approved by the National Development and Reform Commission. The principle of pricing, the price level, and the approval department are inconsistent. This makes it difficult for a third party to want to import LNG independently to master detailed and accurate price data in the early stage. It takes more time costs and workload to investigate the potential use of receiving stations. Operating, increasing business risks.

Guo Haitao: I think the key is to unify and clarify the pricing mechanism. At present, the price school nuclear cycle of the LNG receiving station has not been clear, resulting in the principle of the highest gasification service price of the three -year school nuclear at once. The service pricing rules for receiving stations are unscientific and unstable, and the healthy development of the industry is restricted.

Promote fairness and opening up to third parties

PetroChina Petrochemical: In your opinion, what are the highlights of "Opinions"?

Guo Feng: I think there are three highlights of "Opinions". First of all, the policy content only monitored the gasification service price of the LNG receiving station, and respected the fact that the price of natural gas prices was market -oriented. Secondly, the policy clarifies the definition and connotation of gasification services, and provides a basis for the split of gasification services. Finally, if the policy stipulates that the actual gasification amount is lower than the government's approval of 60%, in principle, the price is determined at 60%of the government's approval of gasification capacity. This is lower than the load rate of 75%in the "Measures for the Management of the Transportation Price of Natural Gas Pipeline (Interim)". It can be seen that the policy considers the average utilization rate of the receiving station.

Jiang Yong: I think the important highlight of "Opinions" is "strengthening the provincial price of information disclosure." When it comes to the competent authority, the price of the highest gasification service to the society through the portal website clarifies where the third party can check. If it refuses to be disclosed or false, the price competent department may investigate and deal with the relevant departments in accordance with the law, and clarify the punishment measures. Earlier, the LNG receiving station often refused to make public prices on the grounds of business secrets. Third parties can only passively accept the gasification service charging standards formulated by the receiving station operating party unilaterally, without bargaining ability and negotiation basis. Now that the information is disclosed, it has improved equality and fairness. It is a major progress and highlight. In the long run, the "Opinions" can better play the positive role of price leverage to regulate supply and demand, thereby promoting the formation of the upstream unified market in the natural gas industry. Liu Yijun: The "Opinions" conducted basic unified requirements for the method and profitability of the price, and then subsequently subdivided the policy and implementation according to their own conditions, which is conducive to local management of prices and reduced the provision of public services to third parties. transaction cost.

During the peak of my country's gas peak, third -party negotiations in the reception station were difficult. Although the service costs have not fluctuated, the market's demand for service will fluctuate, which will cause price fluctuations. In this case, the "Opinions" can effectively stabilize the price fluctuations that occur during the peak period, and avoid vaporization of gas price fluctuations from this link.

PetroChina Petrochemical: What is good for the development of the LNG receiving station?

Yang Xuemei: "Opinions" was very timely. The "Opinions" unified the foundation and framework of the price formulation of the gasification service price of LNG receiving station, and provided standards and references for the establishment and adjustment of gasification services in various places, which is conducive to guiding the local area to further improve the price mechanism, standardize pricing behaviors, and reasonably formulate price levels. , Promote the formation of an orderly competition market environment, help the receiving stations fairly open. The window period of the LNG receiving station, the threshold of use, and the service price of the LNG receiving station have corresponding unified rules, which can stimulate the LNG receiving station to further implement the third party and open up.

At the same time, by implementing a relatively flexible government guidance management method, it can be given certain pricing autonomy to the receiving station under the premise of maintaining government supervision and establishing a more flexible and flexible price mechanism, which is conducive to stimulating the vitality and enthusiasm of the receiving station. , Better play the role of regulating the natural gas market, help the high -quality development of the natural gas industry, and ensure national energy security.

In the long run, users will choose a reasonable receiving station to receive LNG based on the comprehensive cost. The "Opinions" managed the price in the form of the highest price, which will greatly stimulate the enthusiasm of the receiving station enterprises and promote fair competition between the receiving stations. It is conducive to motivating the receiving station enterprises to strive to enhance supporting functions and service capabilities, such as enhancing the passing of the pier, so as to continuously improve the turnover and continue to work hard to reduce production and operation costs.

Jiang Yong: "Opinions" encourages the implementation of "one province and one maximum price limit", which is conducive to guiding the receiving station to be priced reasonably through benchmarking prices. It is proposed that the price of gasification services is transformed from government pricing to government guidance price. Under the premise of maintaining government supervision, it can give LNG receiving stations a certain price autonomy, establish a more flexible and flexible price mechanism, which is conducive to stimulating the receiving station The enthusiasm of the operator.

PetroChina Petrochemical: How should related companies recognize and respond to the "Opinions"?

Jiang Yong: The promulgation of "Opinions" is good news for related companies, facilitates the amount of relevant enterprises, increases LNG imports, and increase operating efficiency. However, as a potential beneficiary group, related companies should still analyze their specific situation in detail. Not only should we respond to the Opinions in a timely manner, but also pay close attention to the subdivision of the local governments on the "Opinions".

Guo Haitao: "Opinions" provides relevant enterprises with a pricing standard guide, and enterprises can relatively stablely arrange operations based on service prices to promote the stable development of the entire industry. The supplier in the service should be tailored in accordance with the specific mechanisms in the Opinions, improved their service standards and service levels, and formed a high -quality service supply; the demand party can form a stable service demand. By forming a stable and reliable pricing mechanism, the "Opinions" promotes the LNG receiving station fairly and open to third parties, and ultimately achieve a win -win situation for both parties to serve supply and demand.

Yang Xuemei: The introduction of "Opinions" provides policy guidance for the establishment and adjustment of gasification services for LNG receiving stations in various places. When receiving stations should provide users with more scientific and standardized pricing when providing gasification treatment and related necessary services to users, and clearly formulate the highest gasification service price in accordance with the method of "allowable cost plus reasonable income". Not only that, enterprises should also closely pay close attention to the relevant policies of local responses, analyze their own situation, and implement reasonable implementation. In the subsequent development, enterprises should invest more attention to effective investment and cost control to increase the utilization rate of facilities and effectively increase profitable space.

The problem that still needs to be solved

PetroChina Petrochemical: What problems need to be solved to improve the development level of my country's LNG receiving station?

Bai Wan: There are problems with unreasonable design and backward craftsmanship in the LNG receiving station of my country, so energy consumption, low efficiency, and insufficient business competitiveness. There are problems with the dispatching, control, and operation of the National Pipe Network, the Provincial Pipeline Network, and the local city gas pipeline network. Some LNG receiving stations lack independent management rights, and can only passively accept various production plans issued by superiors. They cannot optimize the production and sales of production and sales. The scheduling command issued by the superior regulation center must execute unconditionally, but the rigid instruction of the superior makes the LNG receiving station very embarrassed and difficult to execute. Liu Yijun: my country's LNG receiving station still needs to work hard to develop the problem of solving the problem of rapid interconnection and mutual matching with existing pipeline network as soon as possible. After implementing the connection, how to provide a more fair service to a third party to promote the establishment of the natural gas resource market allocation and the establishment of corresponding rules, we need to continue thinking and efforts.

Yang Xuemei: In recent years, the country has introduced a number of policies to promote the LNG receiving station fairly and open to third parties. However, the processing service fees of each LNG receiving station are uneven, the price formulation standards are not uniform, and the fairness is suspicious, and it does not conform to the policies of the fair access of oil and gas infrastructure. In addition, there are problems such as unfairness caused by the inconsistency of the unit of measurement. And due to the lack of corresponding incentive policies and market trading mechanisms, the company's receiving station enterprise as a business subject is not willing to open up third parties. These problems have to be resolved.

PetroChina Petrochemical: What suggestions do you have?

Bai Wan: First of all, it is necessary to strengthen the further improvement and implementation of the modern enterprise governance mechanism of LNG receiving stations.

Secondly, the government's functional departments must be set up, together with the storage of gas, gas purchase and receiving stations, participate in the hearing within the pricing framework, and achieve a three -party win -win pricing system and standard, such as negotiating gasification service fees with large customers Price, encourage large customers to enter and large, and increase the turnover rate of storage tanks. In order to realize the import LNG, reduce gas prices, flatten market depressions that have not reached the regional area, increase the penetration rate of natural gas application, reduce the procurement price of raw materials for productive enterprises, and inhibit seasonal fluctuations in the CPI index.

Third, we must use the autonomous energy of the receiving station, increase the turnover rate of receiving stations, and connect the traffic system connecting the receiving station, such as railway cans transportation and highway tank transportation, establish a linkage mechanism, and strive to improve the economic benefits of the receiving station.

Fourth, in addition to meeting the needs of national plans, play the role of the logistics center of the receiving station and the center of the information flow center, and form a form of natural gas procurement consortium to help create a regional natural gas trade hub.

Finally, by implementing a relatively flexible government guidance management method, we strive to stimulate the vitality and enthusiasm of receiving stations. In response to the implementation difficulties faced by the enterprise, it is recommended that the frontline staff who can hear the sound of gunfire personally command to personally decentralize the management rights, so that the receiving station will independently formulate the optimization plan for production and transportation. In this way, the operational efficiency of receiving stations can be improved.

Guo Feng: First of all, it should be done by the trend. I think that each LNG receiving station should adjust the price mode in time, which can split the price of gasification services into prices such as connection, temporary storage, and gasification. Among them, the connection and unloading income can be confirmed at the completion of the connection and unloading, which is conducive to confirming part of the income in advance. The temporary storage period does not exceed 45 days in principle. The over -date receiving station can charge over -date storage fees to ensure the reasonable income of the receiving station.

Secondly, the receiving stations should encourage the recipients of the receiving station to pick up the goods through gasification and try to expand the gasification of the gasification, so that the price of gasification services after the price supervision is not higher than the highest gasification service price in the province.

For LNG receiving stations in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Tianjin and other places, there are large differences in the cost of costs. It is recommended to actively communicate with the provincial government authorities to avoid the supervision results of the supervision and review results from determining the permitted cost at the average cost. In addition, each receiving station should increase its efforts to develop liquid loading and gas storage services (excluding temporary storage of gasification service links), ship transfer and other derivatives, and determine the relevant service prices in accordance with marketization to increase the receiving station for other receiving stations. Business income.

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