USA: Cheniere Files FERC, DOE Application for Corpus Christi Project

Cheniere Energy announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, Corpus Christi Liquefaction, has filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for authorization to site, construct and operate a liquefied natural gas export facility to be located near Corpus Christi, Texas.

The proposed Corpus Christi Project is being designed for up to three liquefaction trains with an aggregate peak capacity of 15 million tonnes per annum. Corpus Christi Liquefaction had previously received approval from the FERC to commence the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) pre-filing process for the Corpus Christi Project in December 2011.

CEI has also filed applications with the U.S. Department of Energy requesting multi-contract authorization to export up to 782 million MMBtu of LNG per year (equivalent to 15 mtpa) from the proposed Corpus Christi Project to all current and future countries with which the U.S. has a Free Trade Agreement as well as to any country with which the U.S. does not have a Free Trade Agreement in effect.

The Corpus Christi Project is being designed for up to three liquefaction trains, three 160,000 m3 full containment storage tanks, and two LNG carrier docks. The Corpus Christi Project would also include a 23-mile associated pipeline that would connect the Corpus Christi terminal to multiple interstate and intrastate pipelines. Cheniere Corpus Christi Pipeline, L.P. (“Corpus Christi Pipeline”) has also requested from FERC a certificate of public convenience and necessity to authorize Corpus Christi Pipeline to construct, own and operate the new natural gas pipeline.

“After an eight month pre-filing process with the FERC, we have determined that our site at Corpus Christi meets all of the requirements of an attractive liquefaction project,” said Charif Souki, Chairman and CEO of Cheniere Energy, Inc. “FERC is the lead agency in the permitting process and we expect to complete the permitting process within 18 months. We have also initiated applications for permits with other cooperating agencies including the DOE and other federal and state agencies as required. Our application with the FERC is the second such application filed to date.”

The Corpus Christi site consists of approximately 664 acres, including 342 acres owned and 322 acres of permanent easements. The site is located on the La Quinta Channel on the north side of Corpus Christi Bay in San Patricio and Nueces Counties, Texas, and is approximately 15 nautical miles from the coast.

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LNG World News Staff, September 2, 2012