Portugal to get US LNG cargo

Portugal is set to receive a cargo from Cheniere’s Sabine Pass LNG export terminal in Louisiana, at least that is what the ship-tracking data currently shows.

This would be the second U.S. LNG cargo produced from shale gas to reach Portugal.

According to the shipping data by the port of Sines, the 162,000-cbm Golar Kelvin is expected to arrive with a Sabine Pass cargo at the REN-operated Sines terminal on February 6.

The first U.S. LNG cargo to Portugal and to Europe landed in April last year onboard the MEGI-powered LNG carrier, Creole Spirit. This cargo was purchased in the spot market by Portugal’s Galp Energia.

LNG World News contacted Galp for a comment on the latest shipment. We will update the article once we receive a response.

Houston-based Cheniere started exporting LNG from Sabine Pass in February last year, a major milestone in global LNG trade as the U.S. is set to become on of the top exporters of the chilled fuel.

Previously, most of the Sabine Pass cargoes went to Latin America, however, this changed in December when the majority of cargoes went to Asia, where cold winter temperatures increased residential heating demand and rising spot LNG prices led to larger price spreads between the Atlantic and Pacific basins.

In a recent report, Reuters said that U.S. LNG exporters have again shifted their focus, this time to Southern Europe from Asia, as cold weather and problems with Algerian gas supply have driven Europe’s gas prices higher.

The report noted that recently one Sabine Pass LNG cargo was delivered to Spain and one to Turkey each, saying that more cargoes of the chilled fuel were heading to Europe.

LNG World News Staff