Biggest Energy Story Of The Week? Some Might Think -- SRE To Open Regional HQ Center In Texas -- January 8, 2020

Link here (paywall). Also here, no paywall.

I suggested this should happen some time ago.

Sempra.

Houston.

Need I say more.

Sure.

Purpose:

• to oversee electricity transmission (Oncor)
• to manage liquefied natural gas export operations in TX and LA

"Center of Excellence"

• will be located in upscale "Uptown Houston"
• area of high-rise offices, hotels, shops and restaurants near the Galleria
• hundreds of new engineering and construction positions

• "Sempra has undergone a dramatic expansion in Texas over the past two years."
• Oncor deal, $9.5 billion closed in early 2018
• Port Arthur LNG: Sempra permit in April, 2019
• 50% stake in the McAllen-based power line operator Sharyland Utilities, May, 2019

My two cents worth: for me, this story is as big as Schwab buying Ameritrade. These are huge stories.

And there's more. Over at Rigzone, Port Arthur LNG progresses with Aramco deal.

Saudi Aramco’s Aramco Services Co. unit has signed an interim project participation agreement with Sempra LNG for the latter firm’s Port Arthur LNG project under development in Jefferson County, Texas.

That's a new development.

According to Sempra, the agreement marks another milestone for the companies in conjunction with Port Arthur LNG. Last May, Aramco signed a heads of agreement with Sempra to purchase 5 million tonnes per annum of LNG from Port Arthur LNG and to acquire a 25-percent equity investment in the project.

What it might look like:

• two liquefaction trains
• up to three LNG storage tanks and associated facilities
• approximately 11 mtpa of LNG exports long-term
• will consider a potential expansion of the proposed Port Arthur LNG project
• the expansion would add two liquefaction trains – bringing the total to four – and give the terminal the capability to export approximately 22 mtpa of LNG

List of potential (and existing) US LNG export facilities are tracked here.