First liquefaction train at Cameron LNG nears operations

Sempra Energy has announced that the first liquefaction train at its Cameron LNG export terminal in Louisiana has reached final commissioning stage.

General contractors McDermott International and Chiyoda International are working in a joint venture and have started introducing pipeline feed gas into Train 1 of the liquefaction export facility in Hackberry, Louisiana.

Since securing the contract in 2014, the companies have provided the engineering, procurement and construction for the project.

Following the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s authorisation to allow the introduction of pipeline feed gas, Cameron LNG will now start accelerating the feed gas deliveries to the facility.

Sempra LNG chief operating officer Lisa Glatch said: “The entire Cameron LNG team has worked safely and diligently to reach this milestone and we expect to start producing LNG this quarter.

“Sempra Energy is now one step closer to reaching our goal of building up to 45Mtpa of LNG export capacity to serve global markets.”

The $10bn Phase I facility of the liquefaction-export project includes the first three liquefaction trains and has a projected export of 12Mtpa of LNG.

This phase is jointly owned by affiliates of Sempra LNG, Total, Mitsui & Co and Japan LNG Investment.

Indirectly owning 50.2% of Cameron LNG, Sempra Energy’s share of full run-rate earnings from the first three trains is projected to be between $400m and $450m a year.

Cameron LNG Phase I is one of five LNG export projects being developed by Sempra Energy in North America.

Cameron LNG Phase II encompasses up to two additional liquefaction trains and two LNG storage tanks, namely Port Arthur LNG in Texas and Energía Costa Azul (ECA) LNG Phase 1 and Phase 2 in Mexico.