DOE: U.S. LNG exports hit 143.7 Bcf in Jan-Mar

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from Cheniere’s Sabine Pass liquefaction facility in Louisiana reached 143.7 billion cubic feet in the first three months of this year, the latest data from the U.S. Department of Energy shows.

Cheniere’s Sabine Pass plant, currently the only such facility to ship U.S. shale gas overseas, exported in total 43 LNG cargoes in the period under review.

Latin America remained as the top destination for U.S. LNG. Mexico took 11 LNG cargoes during the period while 2 landed in Chile, DOE said.

Other notable importers of U.S. LNG were Jordan, Japan, Spain and China. Jordan imported 5 LNG cargoes, while Japan and Spain took 4 shipments each. China received three cargoes of U.S. LNG during the three months.

Europe, that was seen as the preferred destination for American LNG, imported in total 9 cargoes during the period including 2 that landed in Turkey.

According to the DOE data, Sabine Pass export point prices were ranging from the smallest price of $3.02 per MMBtu recorded in March to the highest price of $7.52 per MMBtu in January – this price included liquefaction fees.

DOE’s report also shows that American LNG Marketing exported 57,163 million cubic feet (Mcf) of domestically produced LNG in ISO containers in the January-March period.

LNG was shipped from Miami, Fla. to Barbados with the export point price for all of the shipments at $10.00 per mmBtu.

Cheniere is developing up to six trains at its Sabine Pass terminal with each train expected to have a nominal production capacity of approximately 4.5 million tons per annum.

The Houston-based company currently ships the fuel produced at three liquefaction trains.

By 2021, four additional LNG export facilities currently under construction along the U.S. Gulf Coast are expected to be completed. These five plants are expected to have an operational export capacity of 9.2 Bcf per day in total, according to the Energy Information Admiration (EIA).

LNG World News Staff