Second tanker leaves Freeport LNG export plant in Texas – LSEG

The second tanker in about a week left Freeport LNG’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plant in Texas in what energy traders called another sign that the plant was increasing output after a series of outages over the past month or so.

The Wilforce LNG tanker left Freeport at about 85% of the vessel’s maximum capacity, according to data from financial firm LSEG on Wednesday.

Last week, on April 23, the BW Pavilion Leeara was the first vessel to leave Freeport in about 12 days.

The amount of natural gas flowing to the seven big U.S. LNG export plants slid to an average of 11.9 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in April, down from 13.1 bcfd in March due mostly to ongoing outages at Freeport LNG. That compares with a monthly record of 14.7 bcfd in December.

The amount of gas flowing to Freeport, meanwhile, was on track to hold at a three-week high of 0.8 bcfd on Wednesday, the same as Tuesday. That compares with almost no gas flows to the plant for several days (April 24-27) last week.

Each Freeport train can turn about 0.7 bcfd of gas into LNG.

One billion cubic feet is enough gas to supply about 5 million U.S. homes for a day.

In late March, Freeport said it expected two of the three liquefaction trains at the plant, Trains 1 and 2, to remain shut until May for inspections and repairs, while Train 3 was operating.

Train 3, however, shut around April 11, causing feedgas to the plant to average just 0.1 bcfd from April 12-27.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Scott DiSavino; editing by David Evans)