Arbitration of LNG Price Review Disputes

Price review arbitration remains a prevalent feature of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) industry. Contractual pricing schemes may require periodical adjustment to realign them with prevailing commercial realities or market conditions. Price review clauses may provide for the review and potential revision of the contract price, by agreement, at specific times and on the occurrence and fulfillment of certain conditions.Where agreement cannot be reached, disputes will often be settled by international arbitration. Some of the more commonly seen characteristics of price review clauses are explored below, together with the associated processes by which parties may seek to agree revision of the contract price, and failing agreement, the referral of that dispute to arbitration.