Sabine Pass LNG gas intake to top 1 Bcf

OREANDA-NEWS. July 29, 2016. Gas intake at the Sabine Pass LNG export terminal today is scheduled to top 1 Bcf/d (28mn m?/d) for the first time, indicating the facility has likely started producing LNG from its second liquefaction train.

The terminal in the US Gulf coast state of Louisiana is slated to receive a combined 1.05 Bcf today, the second consecutive daily record after flow of 916mn cf yesterday. Sabine Pass, which started to receive gas in October 2015, has become one of the largest US gas consumers.

Sabine Pass owner Cheniere Energy is building five liquefaction trains at the terminal, each with peak capacity of 5mn t/yr, equivalent to about 694mn cf/d of gas, and baseload capacity of 4.5mn t/yr.

Gas flow to the terminal averaged 640mn cf/d on 1-26 July, reaching a high of 660mn cf on 26 July. That likely indicates production from train 2 started yesterday. The daily high before the last two days was 744mn cf on 1 April.

Cheniere has been unavailable to comment.

Train 1 exported its first cargo on 24 February and has been sending out about one cargo a week since then. The global LNG market is closely watching when train 2 will come on line, as it would double the rate of US exports.

Cheniere has said the first test cargo from train 2 will likely be exported in mid-August and long-term contractual operations would start in late September. Those dates could be delayed, however, because trains 1 and 2 will be shut for maintenance for an undetermined time in September or October to upgrade flares.