Platts to change the monthly roll timing of DES European LNG assessments

Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, will change the monthly roll date for its DES Northwest Europe (NWE), DES Mediterranean (MED) and DES East Mediterranean (EMM) LNG physical and DES Northwest Europe LNG derivative price assessments, effective Aug. 17, 2026.

The change will align the timing of these assessments with prevailing roll conventions across European gas hub assessments. Platts will amend the roll methodology such that DES NWE, MED and EMM assessments will roll on the first day of each calendar month unless that day is not a business day, in which case the price assessments roll on the following business day, while adhering to the UK holiday calendar.

This is as opposed to the current roll timing on the 16th of each calendar month, or the next business day if the 16th falls on a holiday.

For example, assessments published up to the last business day of September will reflect October delivery. Therefore, on Aug. 17 , the assessments will continue reflecting September and will roll only on the first business day of September to reflect October delivery. On the first business day of October, the front-month assessment will roll to reflect November delivery.

Platts will continue to publish DES NWE, MED, and EMM LNG assessments that reflect cargo delivery in the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth half-month cycles from the date of publication.

The DES Northwest Europe LNG derivative assessments will also roll on the first day of each calendar month, unless that day is not a business day, in which case the price assessments roll on the following business day.

Therefore, the Platts NWE pricing month derivative and balance-month next-day will be published from the first day of each calendar month, or the next business day if that day is a holiday, of M-2 through to the sixth last publishing day of M-1, where M is the month of delivery. For example, Platts will publish the NWE pricing month and balance-month next-day November 2026 derivative from Oct. 1, 2026, to Oct. 23, 2026.

This reflects observed financial trading patterns, where LNG market participants typically shift prompt exposure approximately one week ahead of expiry of the relevant underlying gas hub contract.

This change also reflects evolving European LNG market dynamics and the increasing interaction between LNG pricing and European gas hub markets. Aligning the roll methodology with European gas hub assessment conventions aims to improve transparency, enhance consistency between physical LNG and regional gas pricing, and better reflect prevailing market pricing and hedging practices used by participants.

Full details of the existing Platts Atlantic LNG assessments can be found in the Global LNG Specifications Guide, available here.

Please send all feedback, comments, and questions to lngeditorialteam@spglobal.com and pricegroup@spglobal.com.

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