US LNG exports down on week

Cheniere’s Sabine Pass liquefaction terminal in Louisiana, currently the only such a facility to ship U.S. shale gas overseas, exported fewer cargoes of the fuel in the week ending October 5.

According to the Energy Information Administration, three vessels with a combined LNG-carrying capacity of 11.2 billion cubic feet (Bcf) have departed the plant since Wednesday last week. This compares to five vessels with a capacity of 18.5 Bcf the week before.

One vessel with a capacity 3.8 Bcf was loading at the terminal on Wednesday.

Natural gas pipeline flows to the Sabine Pass facility averaged 2.0 Bcf/d for the report week, as compared to 2.2 Bcf/d in the previous week.

Puerto Rico LNG imports remain on hold

LNG imports to Puerto Rico remain on hold after extensive damage from Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the agency said in its weekly report.

Puerto Rico relies on fuel imports to meet most of its power generation needs, with nearly half of its generation coming from petroleum products and a third of its generation coming from natural gas.

Puerto Rico imports LNG into the Peñuelas terminal, most of which fuels the EcoEléctricaM and the Costa Sur power plants. Puerto Rico also imports LNG via ISO containers.

The last LNG import cargo to Puerto Rico was offloaded on September 8, just before hurricane Irma arrived.

All of the 15 LNG cargos imported in 2017 were sourced from Trinidad and Tobago.

None of Puerto Rico’s LNG imports into Peñuelas came from the United States because none of the LNG shipping vessels in the global fleet can meet all of the Jones Act requirements, according to EIA.

On September 28, the Department of Homeland Security issued a waiver for the Jones Act, valid for ten days, to ease restrictions on shipments of relief supplies from the U.S. mainland to the island.

However, LNG shipments into Peñuelas will likely be suspended until the two power plants it serves resume service, the agency said.

LNG World News Staff