Page 11 - GLNG Week 49 2022

GLNG AMERICAS GLNG

Freeport LNG again delays

restart of an export

facility to end of year

EXPORTS FREEPORT LNG has again delayed the restart release.
of the US’s second-largest liquefied natural gas Each of Freeport LNG’s three liquefaction
(LNG) export facility to the end of December. It trains will be restarted and ramped up safely, in
was to have opened in mid-December. a slow and deliberate manner, with each train
The plant was closed on June 8 following an starting separately before restarting a subsequent
explosion and fire. The company has several train. It is expected that approximately 2bn cubic
times predicted start-up dates then missed them. feet (56.6mn cubic metres) per day of produc-
“Based upon current progress, and subject tion will be achieved in January 2023, the com-
to us continuing to meet necessary regulatory pany said in November. Full production utilising
requirements, we now anticipate that the restart both docks remains anticipated to commence in
of our liquefaction facility will be achieved March 2023, said Freeport LNG last month.
around year end,” Freeport LNG spokesperson But energy consultancy Energy Group direc-
Heather Browne said to Reuters in an email. tor Alex Munton told Reuters that gas process-
Proposed remedial work activities for a safe ing at Freeport would likely not restart until the
restart of initial operations have been submitted first quarter of next year, “with longer delays
to the relevant regulatory agencies for review and possible.”
approval, the company said in mid-November. In November, the Pipeline and Hazardous
As of November 14, the reconstruction work Materials Safety Administration issued a report
necessary to commence initial operations, on the June explosion saying that the export
including use of all three liquefaction trains, terminal faced inadequate operating and test-
two LNG storage tanks and one dock, had been ing procedures. Human error and fatigue were
approximately 90% complete, with all recon- also to blame, said the federal pipeline safety
struction work anticipated to be finished by the agency.™
end of November, the company said in a press

Week 49 08•December•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P11