USA: Golden Pass LNG Commences Commercial Operations

The Golden Pass LNG Terminal LLC and Golden Pass Pipeline LLC announced today that it has been granted in service authority by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and has commenced commercial operations.

Phase 1 commissioning activities and performance tests of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal were successfully completed in early March. The 69 mile interstate pipeline was successfully commissioned earlier in the year. Phase 1 operations will enable nominal send out capacity of 1 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas. Phase 2 of the terminal is expected to commence commercial operations in the May/June timeframe.

Golden Pass LNG operates state‐of‐the‐art terminal and pipeline facilities near Sabine Pass, Texas. These facilities are designed to safely and reliably receive and transport natural gas throughout Texas and Interstate Markets. When fully operational, the terminal will be among the largest LNG import facilities worldwide, with the capacity to import 15.6 million metric tons of LNG annually. The pipeline, with multiple intra and interstate connections, has a nominal send‐out capacity of  2.5 BCFD.

Houston‐headquartered Golden Pass LNG Terminal LLC and Golden Pass Pipeline LLC, are joint venture companies formed by affiliates of three of the world’s largest and most experienced oil and gas companies: Qatar Petroleum International, the nternational arm of Qatar Petroleum (70%), and the remaining by ExxonMobil i (17.6%) and ConocoPhillips (12.4%).

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Source: Golden Pass LNG Terminal, March 14, 2011;