Venture Global seeks to introduce gas to generator at Plaquemines LNG plant in Louisiana

Excelerate Energy

03/07/2024 19:52

July 3 (Reuters) - U.S. liquefied natural gas company
Venture Global LNG sought permission on Wednesday from U.S.
energy regulators to take another step towards start-up of its
new Plaquemines export plant in Louisiana by fueling its
generator.
    Plaquemines is under construction and is expected to be the
next U.S. LNG export plant to enter service later in 2024.
    Venture Global asked the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission in a filing to authorize by July 8 the company's
request to introduce gas to a gas turbine generator.
    Analysts have said they expect Venture Global to complete
work on the first 1.8-bcfd phase of Plaquemines from 2024 to
2026 and the second 1.2-bcfd phase from 2025 to 2026. 
    Officials at Plaquemines, where the company has said its two
phases would entail an investment of about $21 billion, were not
immediately available for comment.
    Very small amounts of natural gas flowed to the plant, or at
least the pipelines serving the plant, from June 26-30,
according to financial firm LSEG.
    The United States is already the biggest LNG exporter in the
world 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.    
    Analysts expect U.S. LNG export capacity will rise to around
17.0 bcfd of gas or 129.4 MTPA of LNG in mid-2025 as the first
phase of Plaquemines and Cheniere Energy's  LNG.N  expansion at
its Corpus Christi, Texas plant start to enter service in 2024.
    Venture Global has said Plaquemines customers include units
of Exxon Mobil  XOM.N , Chevron  CVX.N , EnBW Energie Baden
Wuerttemberg  EBKG.DE , New Fortress Energy  NFE.N , PETRONAS,
China Gas Holdings  0384.HK , Excelerate Energy  EE.N , Polish
Oil and Gas, China Petroleum and Chemical (Sinopec)  600028.SS ,
China National Offshore Oil Corp, Shell  SHEL.L  and Electricite
de France.

 (Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
 ((scott.disavino@thomsonreuters.com; +1 332 219 1922; Reuters
Messaging: scott.disavino.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))