Cheniere Looks to Future After Sabine Pass LNG 3 Completion

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--On Friday, Cheniere Energy Partners LP (Houston, Texas) has announced substantial completion of Train 3 at its liquefied natural gas (LNG) production and export facility in Sabine Pass, Louisiana. Cheniere has made a 20-year sale and purchase agreement for the output of Train 3 with Korea Gas Corporation (Seongnam, South Korea), delivery of which is expected to start in June.

Cheniere continues to carry on with additional trains at its Sabine Pass facility, with Train 4 being in the commissioning process, Train 5 still under construction, and Train 6 remaining in the planning and engineering stages.

Jesus Davis, vice president of Oil & Gas research at Industrial Info, said: "Cheniere Energy was first to begin exporting LNG from the U.S Gulf Coast in the summer of 2016, and they have continued to increase that lead by bringing two additional trains online within the following 12 months. The completion of Train 3 on Friday also coincides with the 100th vessel to dock at the Sabine Pass export terminal, highlighting just how active the terminal has been since coming online last summer."

The company also continues work at its LNG terminal in Corpus Christi, Texas. Construction on Train 1 at the facility began in the second quarter of 2015 and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2018. The train will have a production capacity of 4.5 million tons per year. Train 2 of the facility is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2019, while Train 3 is expected to kick off construction later this year. Trains 1, 2 and 3 at the facility have a combined total investment value of $14 billion, and could potentially be followed by an additional two trains at the facility.

Davis said: "With Sabine Pass trains 4 and 5 expected to come online this summer and the spring/summer of 2018, respectively, plus the first train at their Corpus Christi plant scheduled to start up next year as well, there is no doubt that Cheniere will be the leading exporter of U.S.-sourced and -produced LNG for the coming years."

According to Reuters, the U.S. is expected to become the world's third-largest natural gas exporter, behind Australia and Qatar, by the end of 2018, when exports from the lower 48 states are expected to top 6 billion cubic feet per day, with strong export markets to Asia and Europe.

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