During the week of March 24 (Tuesday) to March 30 (Monday) exports of natural gas from the Lower 48 States to other countries averaged more than 15 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d)–the highest weekly average for natgas exports EVER. Most of that amazing number comes from exports via LNG facilities–some 9.5 Bcf/d. The rest are exports via pipeline into Mexico–averaging 5.5 Bcf/d.
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Category: Exporting
Shell Pulls Out of Lake Charles LNG Project, Energy Transfer Stays
Is this the beginning of a pullback from LNG project? Scared of the impacts of the coronavirus and the price of oil crashing, Royal Dutch Shell is pulling out of a 50/50 joint venture partnership with Energy Transfer (ET) to build a new LNG export facility in Lake Charles, Louisiana. In corporate speak, Shell says, “This decision is consistent with the initiatives we announced last week to preserve cash and reinforce the resilience of our business,” and “the time is not right for Shell to invest.” Translation: We’re scared. And who can blame them? All of a sudden there are LNG cargoes sailing the oceans with no place to unload (see LNG Cargoes All Dressed Up with Nowhere to Go).
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Jones Act Discussed on ‘Shale Gas News’ Radio Program
Shale Gas News is a weekly radio program that plays on three radio stations in Pennsylvania. Last weekend’s show featured a segment with Colin Grabow, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute’s Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies. Grabow’s research focuses on domestic forms of trade protectionism such as the Jones Act and the U.S. sugar program. Yes, the Jones Act again! During the segment, Grabow describes what the Jones Act is and how it negatively affects U.S. shale gas exports to places like New England and Puerto Rico (see Puerto Rico Imports Russian LNG Thanks to U.S. Jones Act).
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First 5 Elba Island LNG Mini-Plants Now Online Exporting Marc Gas
Last December the very first load of Marcellus molecules liquefied at the Elba Island, Georgia LNG export facility was loaded onto a ship and headed to Pakistan (see Elba Island Finally Exported First Marcellus LNG Cargo on Friday). Elba Island is a series of 10 small liquefaction units, and December’s cargo was from one (maybe two) of those units. Since that time the first four of Elba’s “mini-trains” have come online (see KM’s Elba Island LNG Makes Rapid Progress, Units 1-4 Now Online). You can now add a fifth train to that number.
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DRBC Reopens Public Comment, New Hearing for LNG Export Dock
Last June the DRBC (Delaware River Basin Commission) approved a request by New Fortress Energy to build a $96 million 1,600-foot-long pier/dock on the Delaware River, to be used for docking and loading two ships at a time with LNG (see DRBC Approves New Fortress LNG/NGL Shipping Dock on Dela. River). After being hounded by THE Delaware Riverkeeper and the Sierra Club for months over that approval, DRBC voted in September to “reconsider” its earlier decision (see DRBC Reconsiders New Fortress LNG/NGL Shipping Dock on Dela. River). The DRBC has just announced it will hold a “trial-like” hearing on the project with both sides, New Fortress and Riverkeeper (and no one else) offering testimony.
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Banpu Ponders Entering U.S. LNG Export Market
Banpu, Thailand’s largest coal mining company, loves American shale gas. Over the past several years Banpu has invested ~$500 million in the PA Marcellus, going as far as building a new regional office in northeastern PA (see Banpu Opens New $5M Marcellus Operations Office in NEPA). Recently the company announced a deal to buy Devon Energy’s Barnett Shale assets in Texas (see Banpu Invests Another $770M in Shale – but Not in PA Marcellus). It seems Banpu is not yet done with American shale energy.
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New Fortress to Build Marcellus-Powered Elec Plant in Nicaragua
New Fortress Energy announced yesterday that it has signed a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement with Distribuidora de Electricidad del Norte, S.A. and Distribuidora de Electricidad del Sur, S.A., Nicaragua’s electricity distribution companies. New Fortress will construct a 300-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant near Puerto Sandino to supply power to Nicaragua’s national electric grid. It is the first natural gas-fired electric plant to get built in the country. New Fortress will provide approximately 700,000 gallons (60,000 MMBtu) per day of LNG to power the plant. Guess where most, if not all, of the LNG will come from?
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EIA: U.S. Net Natural Gas Exports to Double by 2021
For many years the U.S. has imported natural gas. When you look at how much natural gas we import versus how much we now export, via LNG and pipelines, the difference is a number called “net exports.” The U.S. now exports more natural gas than it imports. The U.S. Energy Information Administration is fresh out with a report that says our “net export” number is set to *double* in the next two years.
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Eagle Hires Matrix to Build Jacksonville, FL LNG Export Plant
A small LNG export facility project at a site on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida first appeared on our radar in November 2018 when the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted it a favorable environmental impact statement. Since that time the Eagle LNG export project has received tax incentives from the City of Jacksonville, and last September FERC gave the project final approval to proceed (see FERC Grants Final Approval to Jacksonville, FL LNG Export Plant). The project is now getting real. Eagle just announced they’ve hired Matrix Service to build the facility.
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KM’s Elba Island LNG Asks FERC for OK to Start Up Unit 2
A slight tweak and correction to a story we ran last week in which we speculated that the first four mini-trains at Kinder Morgan’s Elba Island LNG export facility are now up and running (see KM’s Elba Island LNG Makes Rapid Progress, Units 1-4 Now Online). We told you we could not find evidence in the FERC dockets that Unit #2 was in fact up and running, but we assumed it was. It was not. On Monday KM asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for permission to start up Unit #2, saying it would be ready to rock-n-roll beginning tomorrow, Jan. 16. Our timing was just a tad off.
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KM’s Elba Island LNG Makes Rapid Progress, Units 1-4 Now Online
MDN previously reported in mid-December the very first load of Marcellus molecules liquefied at the Elba Island, Georgia LNG export facility was loaded onto a ship and headed to Pakistan (see Elba Island Finally Exported First Marcellus LNG Cargo on Friday). Elba Island is a series of 10 small liquefaction units, and December’s cargo was from one (maybe two) of those units. What’s happened since that time?
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Philly LNG Export Plant Advances, Seeks Bids for Solar Power
Last June Philadelphia City Council voted to approve a $60 million Marcellus LNG export facility, to be built on property owned by Philadelphia Gas Works (see Philadelphia LNG Export Plant Approved by City Council Vote). Since that time we’ve not heard anything about the project or its status. Until now.
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Elba Island Finally Exported First Marcellus LNG Cargo on Friday
Last week MDN reported LNG tanker Maran Gas Lindos had docked and was thought to be loading what will be the very first shipment of Marcellus molecules to be exported from the Elba Island, Georgia LNG export facility (see Elba Island Exporting First Marcellus LNG Cargo This Week – Maybe). Although the Elba Island facility is six months or more behind schedule in going online, we’re happy (exhausted, actually) to report that the Maran Gas Lindos left dock Friday evening and is heading to Pakistan with the very first Marcellus LNG shipment.
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U.S. Exports More Oil than Imports for First Time in Half Century
Our favorite government agency, the U.S. Energy Information Administration, brings us news that (so far) the lamestream press refuses to share. In September the United States exported 89,000 barrels per day (b/d) more petroleum (crude oil and petroleum products) than it imported. That’s the first month this has happened since monthly records began in 1973! The first time in recorded history! But not a peep from the press or their Big Green overlords. This is ALL due to the miracle of shale drilling.
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Rover, NEXUS NatGas Exports to Canada Currently “Maxed Out”
For some time we’ve been concerned about competition for Marcellus/Utica gas coming from western Canada being piped to Canada’s East Coast (see TC Energy Plan to Move Western Canadian Gas to East Coast Approved). TC Energy’s (formerly TransCanada) plan to haul gas over 1,000 miles across the continent at steeply discounted rates seemed like it was working (see TC Energy Cuts Rates 3rd Time to Sell W. Canada Gas to New England). Maybe we worried for nothing. S&P Global Platts is reporting Canada’s net imports of U.S. gas at the Dawn Hub have surged.
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More Competition for LNG Exports Coming from Qatar
The U.S. is on track to overtake both Qatar and Australia to become the top LNG (liquefied natural gas) exporter by 2024. However, our reign at the top may be short-lived. Qatar announced last week it will boost LNG production by 64% by 2027.
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