SINGAPORE, May 17 Reuters Asian spot liquefied natural gas LNG prices rose this week to its highest levels since January, as hot weather across the region spurred more demand for the superchilled fuel, and as it tracked gains in European gas prices on the back of maintenance outages and lower wind output.

The average LNG price for July delivery into northeast Asia rose to 10.90 per million British thermal units mmBtu, up from 10.50mmBtu in the previous week and its strongest levels since Jan. 5, industry sources estimated.

Asian delivered prices have edged higher in the past few days… as demand from southeast Asian buyers and gains by European prices in the past three days have offered support, said Samuel Good, head of LNG pricing at commodity pricing agency Argus.

He added that forecasts of aboveaverage temperatures in northeast China for the coming month could lift gasfired generation to meet greater power sector cooling demand.

Utilities in India are also expected to seek additional spot LNG volumes to be delivered in June and July due to an ongoing heatwave, said Rystad Energy analyst Masanori Odaka in a note.

Meanwhile, PetroVietnam Gas said on Thursday it received its third LNG cargo this year for power generation amid rising demand due to heatwaves.

Additionally, the market appeared to shrug off a power outage at the Bintulu LNG complex owned by Malaysia39;s Petronas, added Argus39; Good, with the facility appearing to continue some loadings ahead of the…