Asia summer 2026 LNG & coal outlook: Weather, geopolitics & fuel switching dynamics

Firat joined Kpler’s insight team in 2024 as a Senior Dry Bulk analyst and has over seven years of experience covering the seaborne thermal coal market. Firat spent the early years of his career in banking, working in various roles in corporate banking and structured finance divisions. Firat’s focus is modeling the global supply demand balance for the seaborne coal market and offering in-depth research analysis to bring transparency to dry bulk markets.

Nelson joined Kpler in October 2024 to cover Asian gas & LNG markets. He focuses on market analysis and Supply & Demand forecasting in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and mainland China. Also, he collaborates with his team on coverage on European, South Asian, and Southeast Asian markets. Before Kpler, Nelson spent 3+ years as an Associate in Goldman Sachs (Singapore) in commodity MO functions, also working on power & commodity data. He also spent less than a year as a Research Associate in Aurora Energy Research in Singapore, where he specialised in power & renewables market forecasting in Southeast Asian and South Korean market. Nelson holds a Bachelor of Engineering Science and a Master of Science in Technology Management from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU). He has lived, studied and worked in China, Singapore, and the US. He is currently a CFA charterholder.

Sonal joined Kpler in January 2026 as part of the LNG Insight team, where she focuses on Asian LNG markets. Her work centers on supply-demand forecasting and market dynamics across India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, while also contributing to broader Southeast Asian and global LNG analysis. Prior to Kpler, Sonal spent 2 years at Wood Mackenzie, covering Southeast Asian gas and LNG markets. Her research focused on long-term market outlooks, regional gas balances, pricing trends, infrastructure developments, and evolving policy frameworks. Sonal holds a Bachelor of Technology in Biochemical Engineering from the University School of Chemical Technology, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU). She is based in India.