Commonwealth LNG's Request Might Point to LNG Headwinds

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Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The developers of the Commonwealth LNG facility slated for Louisiana have asked the federal government for an extension on their construction permit, in what could be an early sign of headwinds for the industry.

In a filing Tuesday with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), developers said a pause on permits for new export facilities for liquefied natural gas (LNG) enacted by former President Joe Biden meant it could not meet a 2027 deadline. The applicants want the construction permit extended to December 2031.

"These delays were beyond the control of Commonwealth and unavoidably affected Commonwealth's ability to advance the project on the schedule contemplated when its application was filed," the filing read.

In one of his first acts of office in January, U.S. President Donald Trump overturned Biden's order and has since signed off on a flurry of new projects, from the long-anticipated Alaska LNG project to facilities such as Commonwealth, led by Kimmeridge (New York, New York).

Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Oil & Gas Production Project Database can click here to learn more about Alaska LNG and click here for a profile of Commonwealth LNG.

Commonwealth in September secured the necessary permits from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to deliver up to 1.21 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), or 9.5 million metric tons per annum (MMTPA), of natural gas in liquid form to non-free-trade agreement (non-FTA) countries.

"Finalizing this authorization moves us closer to delivering more American LNG to the world, advancing President Trump's energy dominance agenda," Energy Secretary Chris Wright said at the time.

FERC in September also signed off on the construction schedule for the Texas LNG facility, led by Glenfarne Group (Houston, Texas). The company is targeting a final investment decision (FID) for Texas LNG, located in the Port of Brownsville, Texas, by the end of the year. If completed as expected, it would be able to handle about 4 MMPTA of LNG exports annually.

Subscribers can click here for a list of detailed reports for projects related to Texas LNG.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that total domestic natural gas production is on pace to increase by about 0.3% annually to average 118.1 Bcf/d by 2026, compared to an expected 0.8% decline from the prior-month report.

Exports of LNG are expected to increase by nearly 7% next year, outpacing growth in U.S. natural gas production. The International Energy Agency (IEA), for its part, expects global LNG capacity to increase by 50% by the end of the decade, pointing to a looming glut.

That, along with the subsequent price pressures, could be creating headwinds for the industry. Wael Sawan, the chief executive officer of Shell plc (London, England), said there's no economic rationale for the flurry of newly sanctioned projects.

Delivering a video address in conjunction with last month's Gasstech conference, Vivek Chandra, the chief executive officer of Gulfstream LNG, proposed for Louisiana, said the industry is growing too fast. From his perch, he sees as much as 70 MTPA trying to make FID so far.

"And that just is way too much," he said. "I see this as a recipe for disaster."

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