Feds OK Cheniere's Corpus Christi 3 natural gas export train for service
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The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday approved Cheniere Energy Inc’s request to put the third liquefaction train at its liquefied natural gas export plant near Gregory into service.
Cheniere's Corpus Christi 3 operation, off state Highway 35, is being developed for seven midscale liquefaction trains. Together, they will be able to produce 9.5 million metric tons of LNG each year.
With the new train in service, there are now three trains operating at Corpus Christi; Trains 1 and 2 were up and running in 2019.
However, the new train has been operating for months in test mode.
Houston-based Cheniere is the largest U.S. exporter of liquefied natural gas. It operates export facilities near Gregory and at Sabine Pass in Louisiana.
Since the U.S. began shipping shale gas overseas in 2016, Cheniere has vaulted into the ranks of the world's top LNG suppliers.
Despite a 4% drop in 2020, energy experts anticipate natural gas demand to recover in 2021 as consumption starts to reach pre-pandemic levels, according to a report by the International Energy Agency.
Much of the growth is expected to come from China and the rest of Asia, according to the French agency, which also predicted the United States would become the top seller of LNG by 2025.
Production from the Gregory facility is likely to complement that which will be exported from Cheniere's Sabine Pass liquefaction project in Cameron Parish, Louisiana.
Chris Ramirez writes about energy, commerce and all things business. Support local coverage like this by checking out our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe
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