USA: Freeport LNG export project moving forward (Gallery)

Freeport LNG liquefaction and export project located on Quintana Island in Texas is moving forward with construction activities, especially with the expansion of the original marine basin to accommodate a second ship dock.

Freeport LNG, led by Michael Smith, Chairman and CEO of the company, is constructing liquefaction infrastructure at the existing terminal to provide export capacity of approximately 13.9 mtpa of LNG, which equals to processing about 2 Bcf/d of pipeline-quality natural gas. The feed gas will be sourced from the interconnecting intrastate pipeline systems through Freeport LNG’s existing Stratton Ridge meter station.

To enable the ship-loading capabilities desired for the planned liquefaction facility, the original marine basin needed an expansion to accommodate a second ship dock. Expansion dredging of the dock basin began in early February of this year, according to the latest project update.

“Coincidentally, two dredges worked there at that time. A small dredge performed a silt maintenance dredge in the original basin, removing accumulations of silt from the Dock 1 area. A larger dredge, the “Captain Frank” worked to excavate space for the second ship dock,” Freeport LNG said.

According to the company, the size of the original basin didn’t allow LNG tankers at two berths simultaneously, as they would be too close for safe operation.

At completion of work, the original berth will be able to accommodate Q-max tankers, but the new berth will be constructed to accommodate vessels carrying cargoes of up to 180,000 cubic meters of LNG.

Freeport LNG started construction of the liquefaction project in November 2014.

Approximately 13.2 mtpa of the production capacity of the three liquefaction trains have been contracted under use-or-pay liquefaction tolling agreements (LTAs), according to the company’s website.

The first two trains are on schedule to commence operations by September 2018 and February 2019, respectively. The third train is expected to be in operation approximately six months following the second train, or, in August 2019, Freeport LNG said.

In July 2012, Freeport LNG signed 20-year LTAs with Osaka Gas and Chubu Electric for train 1 production (2.2 mtpa each), and in February 2013, a 20-year LTA was signed with BP  for train 2 output (4.4 mtpa). Train 3 offtake agreements with Toshiba Corporation and SK E&S (2.2 mtpa each) were executed in September 2013.

Freeport LNG is also planning to add a fourth natural gas liquefaction unit to the three trains already under construction. This expansion would allow for the export of an additional five million tons of LNG per year, increasing the total export capability of all four trains to over twenty million tons of LNG per year, according to Freeport LNG.

LNG World News Staff