Venture Global seeks to introduce gas to generator at Plaquemines LNG plant in Louisiana
July 3 (Reuters) - U.S. liquefied natural gas company Venture Global LNG sought permission on Wednesday from U.S. energy regulators to take another step towards start-up of its new Plaquemines export plant in Louisiana by fueling its generator.
Plaquemines is under construction and is expected to be the next U.S. LNG export plant to enter service later in 2024.
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Venture Global asked the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in a filing to authorize by July 8 the company's request to introduce gas to a gas turbine generator.
Analysts have said they expect Venture Global to complete work on the first 1.8-bcfd phase of Plaquemines from 2024 to 2026 and the second 1.2-bcfd phase from 2025 to 2026.
Officials at Plaquemines, where the company has said its two phases would entail an investment of about $21 billion, were not immediately available for comment.
Very small amounts of natural gas flowed to the plant, or at least the pipelines serving the plant, from June 26-30, according to financial firm LSEG.
The United States is already the biggest LNG exporter in the world with seven export plants able to turn about 13.8 bcfd of gas into about 104.6 million tonnes a year (MTPA) of LNG. One billion cubic feet is enough gas to supply about five million U.S. homes for a day.
Analysts expect U.S. LNG export capacity will rise to around 17.0 bcfd of gas or 129.4 MTPA of LNG in mid-2025 as the first phase of Plaquemines and Cheniere Energy's expansion at its Corpus Christi, Texas plant start to enter service in 2024.
Venture Global has said Plaquemines customers include units of Exxon Mobil, Chevron, EnBW Energie Baden Wuerttemberg, New Fortress Energy, PETRONAS, China Gas Holdings, Excelerate Energy, Polish Oil and Gas, China Petroleum and Chemical (Sinopec), China National Offshore Oil Corp, Shell and Electricite de France.
(Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)