US LNG exports decline substantially
US federal data from September 16 show total exports of natural gas in the form of LNG declined significantly in the seven days ending September 16 compared with the previous week, likely due to storm activity in the Gulf of Mexico.
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that 16 vessels laden with LNG left export terminals during the week ending September 16, carrying 56bn ft3 of gas in liquid form. For the week ending September 8, EIA reported gas exported as LNG totalled 74bn ft3, which was a 1bn ft3 increase from the week prior.
Five of the vessels for the current reporting period left from the Sabine Pass terminal and two left from Cameron, both in Louisiana. From Texas, four left from Corpus Christi and three left from Freeport, the latter of which suffered a brief power outage this week due to the impact of Tropical Storm Nicholas.
Operators at Cameron in a statement sent to NGW said earlier this week that they took the necessary precautions to ensure its personnel and its plant were safe, but the storm had no impact on its operations.
Outside the region, one vessel laden with LNG left the Cove Point terminal off Maryland and one departed from Elba Island off the coast of Georgia.
Piped exports of natural gas to Mexico also declined during the reporting period, from 5.9bn ft3 to 5.5bn ft3. Imports, meanwhile, increased. Canada sent 4.8bn ft3 to the US market during the week ending September 15, a 0.3bn ft3 increase from the previous reporting period.