US LNG feed gas at record high in first half as Freeport restarts

S-Energy

31/07/2023 15:04

July 31 (Reuters) - U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG)
export facilities brought in a record amount of natural gas in
the first six months of this year after the Freeport LNG
terminal returned to service, the U.S. Energy Information
Administration (EIA) said on Monday.
    Natural gas delivered by pipeline to LNG export facilities,
called LNG feed gas, averaged 12.8 billion cubic feet per day
(bcfd) in the first half of 2023, 4% more than the same
six-month period in 2022 and 8% higher than the full 2022
average.
    Freeport LNG's export plant in Texas was back at full power
in late-March, ramping up feed gas intake after an eight-month
outage, the result of a fire in June 2022, ended in February.
    LNG feed gas also set a monthly record in April 2023 at 14.0
bcfd, supported by high international demand for U.S. LNG
exports, particularly in Europe, the EIA said, citing data by
S&P Global Commodity Insights.
    "Limited growth in global LNG export capacity in the next
two years may increase the need for destination-flexible LNG
supplies, mainly from the United States," the EIA said.
    It forecasts U.S. LNG exports to average 12 bcfd this year
and 13.3 bcfd in 2024, with two new LNG liquefaction projects,
Golden Pass and Plaquemines, expected to come online.  

 (Reporting by Sherin Elizabeth Varghese; Editing by Alexander
Smith)
 ((sherinelizabeth.varghese@thomsonreuters.com))