CNG/LNG

You may have heard about the Cove Point, Maryland LNG (liquefied natural gas) export facility along the shoreline of Maryland that Dominion is beginning to build. Although Dominion received both FERC and Dept. of Energy (DOE) approval and has begun construction, they are still waiting on a final final final final approval from the DOE (see Cove Point LNG Plant STILL Waiting for Final DOE Approval?!). Cove Point was, as far as we knew, the only LNG export project on the East Coast of the U.S. that would be fed by Marcellus Shale gas. That is, until we spotted a second LNG export project that’s making serious headway–in Maine. The Downeast LNG project began life in 2005 as an LNG import project, but last year, after getting preliminary approval for the import project from FERC, Downeast amended its application to become both an import AND export LNG terminal. And yes, the gas they plan to export is Marcellus Shale gas…
Read More “2nd LNG Export Terminal for Marcellus Gas Advances – in Maine!”

Yesterday MDN told you about one of the five potential LNG (liquefied natural gas) projects in Canada that would use Marcellus Shale gas, *if* it gets built (see Canadian LNG Project Woes Europeans with Promise of Marcellus Gas). Today we published a companion story about a proposed LNG export facility planned for Maine–the Downeast LNG facility (see 2nd LNG Export Terminal for Marcellus Gas Advances – in Maine!). However, there is talk in certain quarters about the unlikelihood that many (most?) of the 30 proposed projects will actually get built, including both the Canadian and the Maine projects (see Moody’s: “Vast Majority” of LNG Export Projects Will be Canceled). We have another such story–this time from an LNG insider. Freeport LNG Development CEO Michael Smith says in addition to the four import projects currently being reworked to export, there are another four facilities that might “move forward” and see the light of day. As for the rest of the 30 proposed projects–Smith says the future for the others is “cloudy.” So which four are getting built now, and which four are on Smith’s short list of the best prospects to get built?…
Read More “LNG Insider Shares His List of Which Export Projects Will Get Built”

On Monday a delegation of European Union economic counsellors visited Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada) to hear, among other things, about potential LNG exports from a plant proposed by Pieridae Energy Canada (see today’s companion story). Pieridae’s CEO Alfred Sorensen told the visitors about multiple sources of natural gas they can use to liquefy and export–chief among them gas from the Marcellus. Also with Sorensen on the dais was Nova Scotia’s energy minister Michel Samson, there to reassure the Europeans that Pieridae Energy’s Goldboro LNG project has the full backing and support of Nova Scotia. Which we find kind of hypocritical. Last November Samson’s liberal government banned fracking in Nova Scotia. So NS is happy to liquefy and sell fracked gas coming from the U.S., but they won’t allow fracking in their own province. We wonder if the Europeans know about Nova Scotia’s rank hypocrisy? Or if it bothers them if indeed they do know it? We also wonder how truly supportive NS is when it comes to these projects since the fickle liberal government has an anti-drilling streak running through it…
Read More “Frackless Nova Scotia Wants to Sell Fracked U.S. Gas to Europe”

Xcoal Energy & Resources is the largest exporter of coal in the United States. But Xcoal’s CEO, Ernie Thrasher, says coal is in decline and natural gas is ascending. So Thrasher is forming a new company: XLNG Energy & Resources. Thrasher hopes to begin exporting LNG from the Marcellus/Utica no later than 2018. Which is an interesting boast, given the only way to export (so far) would be the as yet uncompleted Cove Point, Maryland plant being built by Dominion. However, 100% of the LNG exporting from that plant is already spoken for. So what is Thrasher thinking?…
Read More “Top U.S. Coal Exporter Plans to Export Marcellus Shale Gas”