Page 10 - GLNG Week 01 2023
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GLNG AMERICAS GLNG
US authorises Sempra to re-
export gas from LNG terminals on
Mexico’s Pacific coast
EXPORTS US-BASED Sempra Energy recently secured able to export the equivalent of 200 bcf (5.7 bcm)
authorisation from the US government to pump per year via Vista Pacífico LNG, where work has
natural gas by pipeline to Mexico, where it will yet to begin.
be processed into LNG for export via terminals The DOE had come under some pressure not
slated for construction on the Pacific coast. to approve Sempra’s plan from environmental
On December 20, the US Department of lobbyists opposed to projects that support fossil
Energy (DOE) approved the permits that will fuel extraction within the US. (The company is
allow Sempra to send gas to the Energía Costa planning to pump gas from its US fields to the
Azul (ECA) site, located near Ensenada in Baja ECA and Vista Pacífico LNG plants.) However,
California State, and to the Vista Pacífico LNG the department concluded during the approval
site in Topolobampo, a port in Sinaloa State. process that carbon emissions could be reduced
With these permits in hand, the company will by 4-8% by authorising re-exports in order to
be able to re-export US-produced gas from Mex- facilitate LNG shipments to Asia via ports on
ican territory. Mexico’s Pacific coast instead of maintaining
Specifically, it will be able to export the equiv- the status quo, in which gas is piped overland to
alent of 475bn cubic feet (13.45bn cubic metres) LNG plants on the US Gulf Coast (USGC) and
per year of gas from ECA, which is being built in then shipped to Asia via the Panama Canal.
multiple phases. (The plant was originally con- The lower emissions intensity of Sempra’s
structed to serve as an LNG import terminal, but projects is “due to the shorter tanker route from
Sempra’s IEnova subsidiary is now converting it [western] Mexico to markets in Asia,” according
into an export facility.) Additionally, it will be to DOE documentation cited by Reuters.
P10 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 01 05•January•2023
