EIA: US LNG exports drop on week

The Sabine Pass liquefaction terminal in Louisiana exported fewer LNG cargoes in the week ending August 16 as compared to the week before, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Three vessels with a total LNG-carrying capacity of 11.4 billion cubic feet (Bcf) departed Sabine Pass from Thursday to Wednesday, as compared to four vessels with a combined LNG-carrying capacity of 13.7 Bcf, the agency said in its weekly report.

Natural gas pipeline deliveries to Cheniere’s Sabine Pass plant averaged 1.8 Bcf/d for the week ending August 16, the same as the previous week.

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

The Houston-based LNG export player is currently starting up the fourth liquefaction unit at Sabine Pass and expects substantial completion of the unit in the next few months.

Sabine Pass shipped over 160 cargoes or about 575 trillion British thermal units (TBtu) since it started exporting the fuel in February last year.

These cargoes landed in 24 countries by the end of July. Almost half of the Sabine Pass cargoes were shipped to Latin America, followed by Asia, MENA and Europe.

Henry Hub price up

The Henry Hub spot natural gas price rose 4¢ in the week ending August 16  as average temperatures across the continental United States began the week lower than normal and ended the week above normal, EIA said.

The price increased from $2.85/MMBtu last Wednesday to $2.89/MMBtu two days ago.

In its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook released last week, the agency said Henry Hub gas prices would average $3.06/MMBtu in 2017 and $3.29/MMBtu in 2018.

The 2017 estimate is down 10 cent while the forecast for 2018 is lower 12 cents as compared to forecasts in EIA’s June short-term outlook.

LNG World News Staff