Freeport LNG seeks commercial restart
Freeport LNG filed a request February 13 to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) seeking authorisation to begin the process of bringing all three trains at its 15mn metric tons/year facility back into commercial operations.
Last week, FERC allowed Freeport to proceed with an initial re-start of Train 3, the portion of the facility most seriously impacted by an explosion and fire last June. That work progressed quickly, and on February 11, the first cargo of LNG since the explosion was loaded onto a tanker to make room in Freeport’s storage tanks, which were not affected by the fire.
|
Advertisement: The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC) NGC’s HSSE strategy is reflective and supportive of the organisational vision to become a leader in the global energy business. |
On the basis of that, Freeport said, Train 3 has effectively been restarted and is ready to be transitioned to full commercial operations, Freeport said in its request to FERC.
“Freeport respectfully requests authorization to progress to the full, commercial operations of Phase I. Phase I operation is comprised of the operation of all three LNG liquefaction trains…two LNG storage…and one LNG loading dock.”
Tanks 1 and 2, Freeport said, have continued to operate since the June incident, while Trains 1 and 2 were not impacted by the fire and their restart requires no review or verification of any restoration work apart from a pre-startup safety review (PSSR).
“Therefore, we would ask permission to commence the restart of Trains 1 and 2 once those trains have had their PSSRs successfully completed, including the completion of all punchlist and corrective work deemed necessary for the safe restart of those units,” it said, while requesting FERC approvals be issued on February 13, “if at all possible.”