Sempra Energy's Louisiana Cameron LNG export terminal ships first cargo (updated)

Chiyoda

31/05/2019 13:00

(Adds background)
    May 31 (Reuters) - Sempra Energy  SRE.N  said on Friday the
$10 billion Cameron liquefied natural gas export terminal in
Louisiana had shipped its first cargo, making the plant the
fourth big LNG export terminal to enter service in the United
States.
    Mitsui & Co Ltd  8031.T , one of the partners in the Cameron
project, chartered the tanker, Marvel Crane, to pick up the
commissioning cargo.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N23410N  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nJCN49853a
    It was not immediately clear where the vessel was headed.
    Sempra said commissioning cargos were a critical step in the
start-up process. The plant is expected to get federal
authorization to enter commercial operations in mid-2019.
    Natural gas use is growing fast around the world as
countries seek to wean their industrial and power sectors off
dirtier coal.
    There are three liquefaction trains at Cameron. The first
started producing LNG in mid May. Sempra has said it expects
Cameron 2 and 3 will enter service in the first and second
quarters of 2020.   urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N22Q0N4
    Cameron will produce about 12 million tonnes per annum
(MTPA) of LNG, or roughly 1.7 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd)
of natural gas. One billion cubic feet of gas is enough to fuel
about 5 million U.S. homes for a day.
    When the United States sent out its first LNG cargo in
February 2016, the country was not exporting any of the fuel.
    Since then, the United States has become the world's fourth
biggest LNG exporter in 2018, behind Qatar, Australia and
Malaysia, and is on track to overtake Malaysia and become the
third biggest in 2019.
    Just looking at terminals under construction, U.S. LNG
export capacity is expected to jump to 7.4 bcfd by the end of
2019 and 10.0 bcfd in 2020 from 5.2 bcfd now.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N22F0I9
    Cameron is jointly owned by affiliates of Sempra, Total SA
 TOTF.PA , Mitsui, and Japan LNG Investment LLC, a company
jointly owned by Mitsubishi Corp  8058.T  and Nippon Yusen
Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK)  9101.T . Sempra indirectly owns 50.2% of
Cameron.
    McDermott International Inc  MDR.N  and Chiyoda Corp
 6366.T  are the lead contractors at Cameron.
    Sempra has a long-term goal of exporting 45 MTPA of North
American LNG and is developing a second two-train phase at
Cameron, the Port Arthur LNG export terminal in Texas and plans
to add export facilities in two phases at its existing Costa
Azul LNG import terminal in Baja California in Mexico.
    Saudi Aramco signed a 20-year agreement on May 22 to buy LNG
from Sempra's proposed Port Arthur.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N22Y172
    

    <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sempra on track to finish Louisiana Cameron LNG export terminal
in 2019     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N1SE187
McDermott delays completion of U.S. Cameron LNG, speeds up
Freeport finish     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N22C1D4
GRAPHIC-Expansion of global LNG gasification and regasification
capacity    http://tmsnrt.rs/2mtY5CY
GRAPHIC-Growing global natural gas demand    http://tmsnrt.rs/2mtP90z
FACTBOX-North American liquefied natural gas export projects   
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N22F0I9
UPDATE 2-Saudi Aramco inks 20-year deal with Sempra for LNG
supply     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N22Y172
UPDATE 1-Sempra Louisiana Cameron 1 export plant produces first
LNG     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N22Q0N4
First vessel arrives at Sempra Cameron LNG export plant in
Louisiana     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N23410N
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Holds Christening Ceremony for
Next-Generation LNG Carrier "MARVEL CRANE"     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nJCN49853a
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 (Reporting by Scott DiSavino
Editing by Bernadette Baum)
 ((scott.disavino@thomsonreuters.com; +1 646 223-6072; Reuters
Messaging: scott.disavino.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))