HANOI (Aug 12): State-controlled Petrovietnam Gas is sounding out suppliers for a possible tender to procure liquefied natural gas (LNG) under a five-year contract, according to a document reviewed by Reuters.

If agreed, it would be Vietnam's second term contract after a deal with Shell earlier this year, as the Southeast Asian manufacturing hub builds an LNG industry from scratch to help meet growing energy demand.

The request sent in June to potential suppliers under a "market sounding exercise" is for the supply of 250,000-450,000 metric tons for the Thi Vai Terminal, with delivery starting in January 2027 or later, the document shows. No tender has been announced yet.

In January 2026, PV GAS awarded its first term contract to date to Shell. The British energy giant will deliver the super-chilled fuel to Vietnam from 2027 to 2031, under a five-year supply deal for about 400,000 tonnes a year.

The deal with Shell was finalised as Vietnam negotiated with the United States measures to reduce its large trade surplus with Washington, including via the purchase of LNG from US firms.

No term deal with any US firms has been announced as Hanoi and Washington continue negotiations for a trade deal while Vietnam faces higher US tariffs than those on many peers.

Vietnam, which is seeking to reduce its reliance on coal and lower its carbon emissions, has two LNG terminals, both located in the south, which have been supplied under spot contracts.

Thi Vai Terminal run by PV GAS can handle one million tonnes a year and is being expanded to three million tonnes per year. It supplies two power plants with a combined capacity of 1.5 gigawatts.

The other terminal, Cai Mep Terminal owned by AG&P LNG, has a capacity of three million tonnes per year.

Uploaded by Liza Shireen Koshy