The Energy Information Agency says that US daily LNG loadings reached a record high on January 26 as the nation’s export capacity continues to grow.
EIA estimates that seven LNG tankers loaded 25.4 Bcf at US terminals and departed on Tuesday, the agency said in its weekly report.
The US exported in total eighteen LNG cargoes in the week ending January 27 while feed gas deliveries to liquefaction plants averaged 9.9 billion cubic feet.
Compared to the last week, natural gas deliveries to US LNG export plants dropped some 0.9 Bcf/d while shipments decreased by two, EIA said.
Currently, the US has fifteen standard-size LNG trains and ten small-scale moveable modular liquefaction system units in operation across six export facilities.
These facilities have a combined LNG export capacity of 9.5 Bcf/d baseload and 10.8 Bcf/d peak, according to EIA.
Looking at the weekly shipments in detail, five US terminals dispatched the eighteen cargoes during the week of January 21-27. The total capacity of LNG vessels carrying these cargoes is 65 Bcf.
This compares twenty cargoes with the vessels’ capacity of 72 Bcf in the week before.
Moreover, Cheniere’s Sabine Pass plant sent five shipments in the week under review while its Corpus Christi plant dispatched four cargoes.
Cameron and the Freeport terminal also exported four cargoes of the fuel, each, during the observed week. Cove Point sent one shipment.
Compared to the previous week, the Henry Hub spot price rose from $2.42/MMBtu last Wednesday to a low of $2.71/MMBtu two days ago, EIA said.
US LNG traffic flow affected by weather
During the report week, weather conditions such as fog affected US LNG traffic flow at Sabine Pass, Corpus Christi, and Cameron LNG, EIA said.
In addition, piloting services in the waterways around Corpus Christi were suspended for part of the day on January 21.
Fog conditions also suspended pilot services for Sabine Pass traffic on January 21, 23, and 25.
Furthermore, EIA said weather-related closures affected Lake Charles traffic, the location of Cameron LNG, for several days.
