FERC Issues Draft EIS for Driftwood LNG

The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Ferc) on September 14 issued the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for Tellurian’s Driftwood LNG and pipeline projects in Louisiana, setting in motion the process for a final EIS by January 18, 2019.

In the draft EIS, Ferc staff conclude that the 27.6mn metric tons/year Driftwood LNG terminal and its accompanying 96-mile (154-km) pipeline would result in adverse impacts to the environment.

“However, with the exception of the visual impact on the nearby Driftwood community, which we conclude would be significant, impacts on the environment would be reduced to acceptable levels with the implementation of Driftwood’s proposed impact avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures and the additional measures recommended by staff in the draft EIS,” the Ferc order said. Visual impacts, staff said, could be minimised to a certain extent by landscaping measures around the terminal.

Tellurian CEO Meg Gentle welcomed the draft EIS, calling it a “significant milestone” in the regulatory process for Driftwood LNG and noting it was completed ahead of Ferc’s recently-updated schedule.

“We continue to work in partnership with all the regulatory agencies to complete the final environmental impact statement by January 2019 and begin construction of the Driftwood Project thereafter, with approximately $30bn of infrastructure investment and nearly 50,000 direct and indirect jobs in at least 18 states.”

Tellurian projects a final investment decision on Driftwood LNG in the first half next year, and to begin operations in 2023.

The draft EIS remains open to public comments until November 5.