CNG/LNG

Tuesday of last week, Freeport LNG, which has been out of operation since an explosion and fire in June 2022, asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for permission to begin re-introducing feedgas back into one of three liquefaction “trains” (units) at the facility. A day later, FERC agreed, and small amounts of gas began to flow (see FERC Approves Freeport LNG Request to Reintro Feedgas to 1st Train). Last Wednesday (a day later), Freeport said it was ready to begin loading ships with the LNG it’s producing and asked FERC for permission to do so (see Freeport Asks FERC for Permission to Load LNG onto Waiting Ships). So far (now a week later), FERC has not responded and has not granted permission to load the ships. As of yesterday, Reuters is reporting gas flows to Freeport have stopped.
Read More “Natural Gas Starts, Then Stops Flowing to Freeport LNG Plant”

New analysis from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows the world will bring online the least amount of new LNG exports this year than it has in the past ten years. The world will, if the predicted four new projects come online, add another 1 Bcf/d (billion cubic feet per day) of LNG export capacity, which is piddly. But that’s not even the worst news. The worst news is that NONE of that new capacity will come from the U.S.
Read More “EIA Says Only 1 Bcf of LNG Exports Coming Online in 2023 – All Non-US”

Last Tuesday, Freeport LNG, which has been out of operation since an explosion and fire in June 2022, asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for permission to begin re-introducing feedgas back into one of three liquefaction “trains” (units) at the facility. A day later, FERC agreed (see FERC Approves Freeport LNG Request to Reintro Feedgas to 1st Train). On Wednesday, Freeport said it was ready to begin loading ships with the LNG it’s producing and asked FERC for permission to do so.
Read More “Freeport Asks FERC for Permission to Load LNG onto Waiting Ships”

The Grace Emilia is an LNG tanker 975 feet long and 151 feet wide built and commissioned in 2021. According to VesselFinder, the Grace Emilia sails between the port of Dabhol in India and Cove Point in Maryland. India buys roughly half of the LNG produced at Cove Point (built by Dominion Energy, now operated by Berkshire Hathaway), while Japan buys the other half. As the Grace Emilia was transiting through the Suez Canal yesterday, it experienced a malfunction with its rudder. Some reports say the ship ran aground and tugs were used to float it again. Other reports (from the AP) don’t mention the ship running aground. We’re not exactly sure if it did or did not.
Read More “Tanker with Marcellus LNG from Cove Point Breaks Down in Suez Canal”

Last week the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) granted permission to Freeport LNG, which has been offline since an explosion last June, to begin the process of restarting the facility (see FERC Gives Freeport LNG Green Light to Begin Work on Restart). FERC gave permission for Freeport to cool down some of the piping and reinstate its “boil-off-gas management system.” Freeport has now asked FERC for permission to begin flowing feedgas to the first of three liquefaction trains.
Read More “Freeport LNG Seeks to Take Next Step, Reintro Feedgas to 1st Train”

Sempra Infrastructure, a subsidiary of Sempra, announced yesterday it had signed its final customer to buy LNG from the Port Arthur (Texas) LNG facility. All of the LNG that can be produced from Phase 1 of the Port Arthur facility is now spoken for, meaning Sempra anticipates moving forward with a final investment decision (FID) to build the plant and begin actual construction sometime by the end of March this year. Although located along the Texas Gulf Coast, this is good news for the Marcellus/Utica.
Read More “Port Arthur LNG Now has All Customers Needed to Build Phase 1”

Credit where credit is due. Freeport LNG, which has been offline since an explosion and fire in June 2022, has changed the target date to restart operations at the facility multiple times over the past few months. (We care because Marcellus/Utica molecules flow to the facility.) Various experts have weighed in with estimates that Freeport won’t restart until February or possibly March (see Rystad Energy Predicts Freeport LNG Restart to be March Earliest). However, since early January, Freeport has maintained it would restart by the end of January (see Familiar Pattern: Freeport LNG Delays Restart Again, to End Jan.). It may not be restarted in the next week, but on Monday, Freeport filed an official request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to begin the restart process now, in January. It is the first step in a full restart (a process that will take months).
Read More “Freeport LNG Asks FERC for Permission to Begin Restart Work”

In what has become something of a parlor game, we have yet another prediction about when the 2 Bcf/d Freeport LNG export terminal, located in Quintana Island, Texas, will return to service. Freeport has been offline since June 2022, when the plant experienced an explosion and subsequent fire (see Explosion Rocks Freeport LNG Export Plant – Offline for 3 Weeks). Freeport, which exports at least some Marcellus/Utica molecules, has changed its estimated restart date multiple times. Earlier this month, Freeport revised its restart date to the end of January (see Familiar Pattern: Freeport LNG Delays Restart Again, to End Jan.). Although the company has held to that date, multiple analysts and sources say ain’t no way. The latest expert to weigh in on a proposed restart date is Rystad Energy.
Read More “Rystad Energy Predicts Freeport LNG Restart to be March Earliest”