DRBC Gives LNG Export Dock in Dela. River Extra 5 Yrs to Build
In September 2022, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), a dysfunctional, hot mess of an organization, voted to extend a permit to build the special LNG export dock along the shoreline of the Delaware River in New Jersey by an extra three years (see DRBC Gives LNG Export Dock in Dela. River Extra 3 Yrs to Build). That action sent the enviro-left, including THE Delaware Riverkeeper (Maya van Rossum), into apoplectic fits. Here we are three years later at the end of the extension, and in a surprise move, the five members of the DRBC voted unanimously to extend the deadline *another* five years! Once again, the left is sputtering. Read More “DRBC Gives LNG Export Dock in Dela. River Extra 5 Yrs to Build”
Earlier this week, NextDecade Corporation announced it had reached a final investment decision (FID) to move forward with construction of Train 4 at its Rio Grande LNG export facility in Brownsville, Texas, within the Port of Brownsville. Rio Grande LNG is being developed on a 984-acre site along the Brownsville Ship Channel, approximately 3 miles east of Port Isabel. The expected LNG production capacity of Train 4 is 6 MTPA (million tonnes per annum, which translates to roughly 0.8 Bcf of natural gas used per day), bringing total expected LNG production capacity under construction at Rio Grande LNG to approximately 24 MTPA (3.2 Bcf/d). 
We have a second “producer does a deal to buy (not sell) LNG” story today. ConocoPhillips, a huge oil-focused driller, announced a deal to buy 1.0 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Rio Grande LNG project. How does this news tie into the Marcellus/Utica? It doesn’t do so directly, but it does so indirectly. First, this deal shows that EQT is not the only driller to move into the role of LNG trader. Others are now doing it, too. A trend? Second, EQT signed its own deal with Rio Grande for 1.0 MTPA of LNG just last week (see 
In August 2025, the United States achieved a brand new record high in liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, exporting 9.33 million metric tons—surpassing April’s previous record of 9.25 million and July’s 9.1 million—as plants returned from maintenance and Venture Global’s Plaquemines facility expanded output. Plaquemines, a 27.2 MTPA plant that began operations in December 2024, contributed 1.6 million tons, or 17% of the total, and is expected to be fully operational in September. Europe took 6.16 million tons (66%, up from 58% in July) amid lower storage levels, while exports to Asia fell to 1.47 million tons. Egypt imported 0.57 million tons, and Latin America’s imports dropped to 0.69 million tons, with 0.37 million tons unallocated. 
This is a “man bites dog” kind of story. EQT Corporation, now the second-largest natural gas producer in the U.S. (not far behind Expand Energy), has been pushing LNG (liquefied natural gas) for years. Since 2022, we’ve called EQT CEO Toby Rice the “apostle of LNG,” spreading the LNG gospel far and wide in an effort to expand U.S. LNG exports (see 
A Reuters reporter/commentator published an article that chronicles (with lots of facts, statistics, and charts) the coming rapid buildout of both gas-fired power generation and LNG exports in the U.S. He pitches the situation as a coming “clash of the Titans” (our words, but his sentiment). The author believes that the buildout of new gas-fired plants will sop up molecules that would have gone to LNG export plants, setting up a price war for those molecules. (One could only hope!) We have a different perspective. 
The nation’s largest LNG exporter, Cheniere Energy, is sounding the alarm that massive investments in and quick construction of natural gas infrastructure (namely, new pipelines) are needed to feed the LNG beast. LNG exports are due to double, to roughly 30 Bcf/d (billion cubic feet per day) by 2030—just five years away. The pipelines we have now are pretty much maxed out. We need new pipelines, and we need to start building them NOW. 
Earlier today, Reuters published a great article titled “Key US natural gas trends to track as LNG exports hit new highs.” The article is full of terrific charts (and narrative) showing where our LNG is currently going (by country), along with where it has gone historically (by country). The article reveals that over the first 8 months of 2025, total U.S. LNG exports climbed by 22% or by 12.4 million tons from the same months in 2024 to a record 69 million tons. Europe accounted for over two-thirds of U.S. export volumes, followed by Asia. The top three markets were the Netherlands, France, and Spain, which together accounted for 28% of total U.S. LNG shipments so far this year.