Venture Global seeks OK to unload first LNG commissioning cargo at Louisiana plant (updated)

EnBW Energie Baden Wuerttemberg AG

29/08/2024 21:02

(Adds background)
       Aug 29 (Reuters) - U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG)
company Venture Global LNG sought authorization on Thursday from
U.S. energy regulators by Aug. 30 to unload the first LNG
commissioning cargo at the Plaquemines export plant under
construction in Louisiana.
    About a week ago, a tanker full of LNG named the Qogir
docked at Plaquemines, according to Venture Global and data from
financial firm LSEG. The tanker came from Norway.
        Energy analysts and traders said Venture Global would
use that LNG to cool down parts of the Plaquemines facility as
part of the plant's testing and commissioning process.
  
        Officials from the company were not immediately
available for comment. Earlier in the week, Venture Global said
the Qogir docked at Plaquemines but did not provide other
information.
  
        On Thursday, Venture Global filed with the U.S. Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for authorization no later
than Aug. 30 to unload the first LNG commissioning cargo on or
after Aug. 30.
  
        LNG plants under construction, like Plaquemines, use
super-cooled fuel to test and cool equipment in preparation for
startup.
  
        In addition to the Qogir, another LNG vessel, the
Venture Gator, which was not fully loaded with LNG, according to
data from LSEG, was anchored in the Mississippi River near
Plaquemines. Analysts said it was likely the vessel, which was
listed as available for orders, would go to Plaquemines.
  
        Plaquemines started pulling in small amounts of natural
gas from U.S. pipelines in late June, analysts have said the
plant could start turning gas into small amounts of LNG in test
mode in coming months.
  
        Venture Global has said that building the two phases at
Plaquemines would entail an investment of about $21 billion.
  
        Analysts have said they expect Venture Global to
complete work on the first 1.8-billion cubic feet per day (bcfd)
phase of Plaquemines from 2024 to 2026 and the second 1.2-bcfd
phase from 2025 to 2026. 
  
        The U.S. is already the world's biggest LNG exporter
with seven export plants able to turn about 13.8 bcfd of gas
into about 104.6 million tonnes a year (MTPA) of LNG.
  
        One billion cubic feet is enough gas to supply about
five million U.S. homes for a day.    
  

 (Reporting by Scott DiSavino; editing by Diane Craft and
Marguerita Choy)
 ((scott.disavino@thomsonreuters.com; +1 332 219 1922; Reuters
Messaging: scott.disavino.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))