Last year Indonesian LNG export facilities shipped 427 cargoes but only 362 are expected to go out this year. More at Reuters.
LNG Import/Export
China is Working on LNG Export Technology
China, the world’s top energy consumer, is developing technology that would enable them to build an LNG export facility in Iran. This would be the first LNG export facility built by a Chinese company and would give them access to abundant but politically risky gas from Iran. More at Yahoo! Finance.
Exxon Orders Four LNG Transport Ships
ExxonMobil has placed an order with China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Company for four LNG transport ships. The ships are a joint venture between Exxon and Mitsui OSK Lines. More at MarineLog.com.
Does LNG from Abroad Cause More Air Pollution?
Some people in San Diego are concerned that the liquefied natural gas being brought there from overseas suppliers has a slightly different chemistry than local gas resulting in more air pollution. Not mentioned in the SignOnSanDiego.com article is the pollution generated when the gas is compressed into LNG, transported and converted from LNG back into a gaseous fuel.
Exports of Oil and Natural Gas are Up
The amount of oil and natural gas being exported by the United States has been going up for the past few years. Imports have been down for the past few years. Some of this is related to the economy. But more LNG export projects are explored, there is a lot of discovered gas in the ground, energy efficiency is improving, renewable energy sources are growing… will the amount that we export continue to grow?
Two Maine LNG Terminals are Dead – One Still Pending
Three developers have proposed liquefied natural gas import terminals in the Passamaquoddy Bay area of Maine – Calais LNG, Quoddy Bay LNG and Downeast LNG. Quoddy’s application was dismissed, Calais withdrew their application last week and now, Downeast is the only application pending. More at the Maine Sunday Telegram.
Massachusetts LNG Import Terminal Squabble
Members of Congress are trying to block any federal funds being used to approve the Weaver’s Cove liquefied natural gas import terminal in Massachusetts. More at Boston.com.
Growth in Shale Gas Market Share
Growth in the production rate of natural gas from shales will offset declines in other production sources and accommodate an overall increase in demand. Shale gas held 14% of the market in 2009 and that is expected to increase to 45% by 2035. More at the U.S. Energy Information Administration website.
Connecticut Gets First Fueling Station for LNG and CNG
Enviro Express Inc. will open one of the first retail fueling stations in the eastern United States to sell LNG (liquefied natural gas) and CNG (compressed natural gas). The station is along busy route I-95 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. More at ABC News.
UK Gas Supplies Unbalanced
Natural gas supplies in some parts of the UK are out of balance with very cold weather, an LNG supply source running out of gas, system pressures falling, and spot prices shooting up. More at Bloomberg.
Gazprom Explores Small Scale LNG Facilities
In Russia there are many industrialized cities located on waterways that are not served by natural gas pipelines. Gazprom considers building small-scale LNG terminals to bring natural gas to these markets. Gazprom is the largest gas production company in Russia and controlled by the Russian government. More at UPI.com.
Renegotiating LNG Contracts in Japan
The largest natural gas distributor in Japan is renegotiating all of is contracts with LNG suppliers. More at Bloomberg.com.
Recovering LNG Markets and New LNG Markets
During the past two years lots of people believed that a huge oversupply was developing in the global LNG market. However a speaker at World LNG Summit said that far eastern markets have recovered rapidly from the recession and new markets in South America are developing. More at the Oil and Gas Journal.
Mozambique LNG? – First on the East Coast of Africa
Anadarko Petroleum has made a large natural gas discovery in the Rovuma Basin in the Mozambique Channel offshore of Mozambique. Three recent significant discoveries could position Mozambique to become the first LNG supplier on the east coast of Africa.
Macquarie and Freeport Propose a Texas LNG Export Terminal
Macquarie Group Ltd. and Freeport LNG propose a $2 billion LNG export terminal on the Gulf coast, near Galveston, Texas to ship Barnett Shale gas to overseas markets. More in the Star-Telegram.
ExxonMobil: No LNG Import Terminal off New Jersey
Several companies have considered building an LNG import terminal off the coast of New Jersey. ExxonMobil says that they are no longer interested. More at Platts.com.
Four years ago lots of plans were being made to bring LNG into the United States. Now the plans are for shipping it OUT.
Can LNG Become a Viable US Export?
An article on the Energy and Capital website speculates on the viability of LNG (liquefied natural gas) as a viable export from natural gas shale plays in the United States.
US LNG Shipping to Britain
The first shipment of LNG (liquefied natural gas) from a port in Louisiana to Britain is expected to arrive in late November. More on Reuters UK.
Coal Bed Methane to LNG in Australia
Two projects in the Surat Basin of Queensland, Australia, plan to produce coal bed methane from wells, condense it into liquefied natural gas and transport it to markets. More at TCEToday.com.
Louisiana LNG Export Terminal
Chesapeake Energy is working to get an LNG export terminal at their Sabine Pass, Louisiana facility. There they can receive gas from their Haynesville, Barnette and Eagle Ford fields and prepare it for shipment to other countries where the price of gas is much higher. More at PennEnergy.com.
Natural Gas Consumption Held Up Through Economic Downturn
The EIA Monthly Energy Review has a long-term chart of primary energy consumption. During the economic downturn of 2008-2009 the consumption of petroleum and coal fell significantly, however, the consumption of natural gas remained steady. Low natural gas prices and increased use of gas at electric power plants helped consumption remain steady.
Natural Gas Shifts Energy Economics
Low-cost natural gas from shale plays is moving electricity generation away from coal, delaying development of alternative energy, killing LNG import projects, launching LNG export projects, changing the geography of energy transport, demanding thousands of miles of new pipelines, motivating homeowners to install gas heat. More in an article on the StarTribune.com website.
Selling Your Natural Gas Stocks?
An article by Keith Kohl on the Energy and Capital website makes an argument for buying natural gas stocks based upon a growing demand for gas. He also weighs in on the fate of LNG import projects… but those same facilities might have some value as export terminals.
Chesapeake LNG at Sabine Pass, LA
Chesapeake Energy is working to get an LNG export terminal at their Sabine Pass, Louisiana facility. There they can receive gas from their Haynesville, Barnette and Eagle Ford fields and prepare it for shipment to other countries where the price of gas is much higher. More at PennEnergy.com.
Japan Getting into Natural Gas Shales
Japan has a very small amount of fossil fuel resources and produces just 16% of the energy that it consumes. Now, energy supply companies in Japan are looking for opportunities in the global shale gas market. More at the Daily Yomiuri Online.
Shale Gas Disrupting LNG Markets?
Abundant natural gas produced from shale deposits in many parts of the world is starting to disrupt the market for liquefied natural gas. Gas from shale is starting to fill local needs and the higher cost LNG will not be needed in those areas. This situation will only expand as more shale fields are developed and pipelines are built to nearby markets. More at OilWeek.
LNG Import Terminal Approved for Alabama
A new import terminal for liquefied natural gas has been approved for the Alabama coast. It will be located about 63 miles offshore and the LNG will be heated into natural gas in a closed-loop system. More at The Dallas Morning News.
Imports of Natural Gas and LNG are Down
Last week, imports of natural gas from Canada were about 13% lower than the same week in 2009. Imports of liquefied natural gas are also down sharply. Those LNG cargoes are going to Asia and Europe where LNG prices are higher. More in the Energy Information Administration’s Natural Gas Weekly Update.
LNG Import Projects Abandoned
Several LNG, liquefied natural gas, import terminals in the United States have gone from being highly promoted to abandoned. The killer for these projects is the recent development of shale gas resources in several parts of the country. More at Platts.com.
The Impact of Shale Gas on Energy Markets
An explosion of natural gas from shale is swamping the market with an abundance of new gas, upsetting investment models for LNG terminals and making gas cost-competitive with coal. More at The Hill.
