Page 11 - GLNG Week 44 2021
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GLNG AMERICAS GLNG
US LNG feed gas demand hits six-month high
amid Sabine Pass Train 6 commissioning
PERFORMANCE FEED gas demand at US liquefaction and export however, fell to 600mn cubic feet (17 mcm) per
terminals is reported to have hit a six-month day, the lowest levels since September, according
high of 11.8bn cubic feet (334mn cubic metres) to Refinitiv. This came after a segment of pipeline
last week. This came amid the ongoing commis- that supplies feed gas to the plant was reported in
sioning of the sixth liquefaction train at Cheniere late October to be down for maintenance.
Energy’s Sabine Pass plant in Louisiana – the Demand for LNG remains high, with buyers
largest in the US. in both Europe and Asia scrambling to replenish
However, shipments were also reported to gas stocks ahead of the winter heating season,
have stalled at Sabine Pass last week owing to and Europe also dealing with reduced pipeline
high winds, which forced services in the channel flows from Russia. This has put US LNG pro-
that serves the terminal to be temporarily sus- ducers in a favourable position, spurring them
pended. This also briefly affected Sempra Ener- to export as much of the super-chilled fuel as
gy’s Cameron LNG terminal, also in Louisiana. possible, despite outages related to weather issues
By November 3, Sabine Pass appeared to and maintenance.
have bounced back, with data provider Refini- And more capacity will come online soon.
tiv reporting that feed gas flows to the plant had Cheniere said in its third-quarter report, released
risen to 4.2 bcf (119 mcm) per day – their highest this week, that Train 6 at Sabine Pass was on
level since April. This prompted some traders to course to reach substantial completion in the
speculate that Train 6 was now producing LNG, first quarter of 2022. Also in Louisiana, Venture
having begun to receive feed gas in September. Global LNG is preparing to bring its Calcasieu
Feed gas flows to Freeport LNG in Texas, Pass terminal online around the same time.
MIDDLE EAST
Egypt reduces rebate offered to
LNG tankers crossing Suez Canal
PIPELINES & EGYPT is lowering the rebate offered to LNG
TRANSPORT tankers passing through the Suez Canal to 15%
effective November 1, the Suez Canal Authority
(SCA) has said.
SCA announced the change in a statement
published on its website on October 27. The
rebate rate had previously been set at 25%.
The organisation appears to be taking this
step in the hope of benefiting from the surge
in natural gas prices on the European market.
European gas prices have already risen five-fold
this year, largely owing to supply pressures. Rus- year for which full annual statistics were availa-
sia, which is Europe’s largest single supplier of ble as of press time. In the same year, LNG tank-
gas, has indicated that it will not deliver more ers accounted for 4% of vessel traffic and 7% of
fuel this winter. However, European buyers may total tonnage sailing through the canal.
be able to obtain more from Qatar, the world’s The Suez Canal is the shortest maritime route
largest exporter of LNG. Qatar uses the Suez serving trade between Europe and Asia, and as
Canal to deliver gas to Europe, as this route is the such it plays a vital role in the maritime sector
fastest maritime route to that market. and in international trade more broadly. It is
SCA has reported that a total of 750 LNG also an important and reliable source of foreign
tankers transited the Suez Canal in 2019, the last exchange for the Egyptian economy.
Week 44 05•November•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P11
