US LNG Export Terminals Operating New Capacity; Shift From Coal To Natural Gas? US Gains -- January 17, 2021

US LNG export terminals here.  

Natural gas EIA weekly update: January 16, 2019. 

See also:  

• US liquefaction capacity growing, even as utilization declines, May 27 2020; 
• Second-wave US LNG prospects stagnate amid market uncertainty, April 17, 2002;
  

US: six export terminals:

• Sabine Pass -- Louisiana, Cheniere, 30 mtpa
  
• Cove Point -- Maryland, Dominion/Buffett, 2.5 mtpa
  
• Elba Island -- Georgia, 2.5 mtpa
  
• Cameron -- Louisian, Sempra/others, 4.5 mtpa;
  
• Corpus Christi -- Texas, Cheniere, 23.5 mtpa;
  
• Freeport -- Texas, 15mtpa; a fourth train will bring it up to 20 mtpa;
  

Conversion:

• Bcf to million tonnes LNG, multiply Bcf by 0.0208212107
• million tonnes LNG per year (MTPA) to Bcf/d, multiply MTPA by 0.131584156
• Bcf/d to MTPF, multiply Bcf/d by 7.59974192 

Costa Azul: Sempra, Baha Mexico, phase 1: 3.25 mtpa

 US LNG Exporters --
Near Capacity As Asian Prices Test New Heights -- Rigzone

Link.

Houston — US LNG export terminals were operating near capacity January 11, 2021, as the spot price for deliveries to Northeast Asia approached a staggering $30/MMBtu amid ongoing supply constraints and strong winter demand.

The benchmark S&P Global Platts JKM has soared to a record high from a record low in less than nine months.

The current trend suggests that Asia will remain the top destination for US LNG for months to come, following robust deliveries to the continent in 2020. Three of the top five destinations last year for US LNG, including No. 1 South Korea, are in Asia.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic's impact on demand last summer and widespread cancellations of US cargoes between April and November, total US LNG exports rose by 27% year over year in 2020, with 667 LNG cargoes delivered.

South Korea, the top buyer of US LNG last year, imported 86 US cargoes, a roughly 10% build over 2019. Japan retained its position as the second-largest buyer of US LNG, taking 71 cargoes in 2020, a 31% build from 2019.

Spain was No. 3, followed by the UK at No. 4. China, at No. 5, imported 44 US LNG cargoes in 2020, a 10-fold increase over 2019. While tariffs were still in place, China granted waivers to importers, allowing US deliveries to resume in April 2020 following a 13-month pause.

"Certainly serves as a reminder of how tight the market can get, after being lulled into semi-permanent pessimism amid consecutive warm winters over capacity and the pandemic," said Michael Webber, managing partner of investment research firm Webber Research & Advisory. "Between this reminder, that global LNG markets were closer to balance than many assumed, and the immediate supply curve sliding back amid consistent project slippage around the world, the outlook for LNG certainly looks more constructive."

Adding up the bars above, one gets about 1,465 Bcf. Dividing by 365 = 4 Bcf/day. 

The EIA predicted US LNG to average 5.5 Bcf/d in 2020 and expects LNG exports to jump to 7.3 Bcf/d in 2021.

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US LNG Exports 

From Forbes, one year ago, January 26, 2020: American LNG exports jump to third place worldwide. Data points:

• US LNG export boom began in February, 2016
• now, January, 2020:
• the US has six export facilities
• 15 trains in service
• 2019: domestic LNG exports averaged: 5 Bcf/d
• 2018: domestic LNG exports averaged 3 Bcf/d
• January, 2020: US LNG feedgas hit a record 9.5 Bcf/d
• equates to over 10% of total US gas production
• feedgas demand will reach 12 - 13 Bcf/d by end of 2020
• for comparison, US gas for electricity averaged 31 Bcf/d with industrial use at23 Bcf/d
• EIA expects US net natural gas exports to almost double by 2021
• US accounted for over half of all new global liquefaction capacity added in 2019
• passing Malaysia, the US is now the world's third largest LNG seller behind leader Australia and second place Qatar
• at the time of this article, "with still a 25% tariff on our gas, China has not bought US LNG since March, 2019
• 2020: remaining trains at Freeport, Cameron, and Elba Line were scheduled to come on line
• 2021: a third train at Corpus Christi should come on line
• but look at this: some ~ 23 projects with a capacity of 35 - 40 Bcf/d are looking to ride the second US wave of gas exports in another round of development  
  

And then this:

The boom in U.S. LNG exports really is: a giant global lifesaver. After all, natural gas is the go-to fuel for rich and poor countries alike to lower greenhouse gas emissions and backup naturally intermittent wind and solar power. Rich Germany is a perfect example of this clear reality. The Germans have spent literally hundreds of billions of dollars incorporating wind, solar, and battery storage at all costs, yet Germany is now looking at building at least four LNG import terminals.

The US is on a collision course with the natural gas triad of Russia, Iran, and Qatar -- the triad accounting for 60% of proven global gas reserves.

It will be interesting to see if President Biden elects to cede "control" to RIQ. Expect to see a full-court press in social media on how "bad" natural gas is for the environment. Paid for, of course, by RIQ.