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Energy, Inc., is located in Cameron Parish, La. along the river on the Texas border. The facility is preparing to ex- port LNG next year. The terminal, which started up in April 2008, became the world’s largest LNG receiver in terms of regasifi cation capacity. Located at the channel’s widest point, it is 3.7 nautical miles from open water and 23 nautical miles from the outer buoy. Tugs are stationed at the terminal to berth LNG vessels. The navigation chan- nel is maintained at a 40-foot depth. The FERC on April 16, 2012 authorized Sabine Pass LNG to receive, process and export U.S.-produced natural gas as part of its lique- faction project. “The Sabine Pass liquefaction facility will be the fi rst LNG export operation to be built in North America in over 40 years,” Katie Pipkin, Cheniere Energy’s Senior Vice President of Business Development, said last month. “Construction is well under way on the fi rst four liquefac- tion trains, and we expect the fi rst LNG production by late 2015.” LNG plants consist of one or more trains, each of which is an independent liquefaction unit. Trains can be added to an existing LNG plant. “The facility is underpinned by long-term contracts that commence with the start of a designated train,” Pip- kin said. Under an agreement to buy products, “BG Gulf Coast LNG’s contract commences with Train l,” she said. BG Gulf Coast is a subsidiary of U.K.-based BG Group. When completed, Cheniere’s planned six-train liquefac- tion facility will export about 27 mtpas or million tons per annum of LNG. An expansion with trains 5 and 6 awaits fi nal permitting, and a fi nal investment decision (FID) is expected next year. All six trains should be operational by 2019. For its part, BG Group expects global demand for natural gas to grow at an average 2.4 percent yearly between now and 2025, led by China and other Asian nations and boosted by urbanization and a shift away from coal. The European Union, meanwhile, wants to reduce its reliance on Russia’s natural gas and is looking to other suppliers. Southwest Louisiana: Can it Handle More Vessel Traffi c? According to the Lake Charles pilots, the Calcasieu channel is underutilized. And, says Captain Palmer, with the right planning, the channel can handle the expected doubling in traffi c. “Lake Charles pilots and the port as a whole are working closely with all stakeholders,” he said. “We’re aware of the challenges presented by this unprec- WORKBOAT MARKETS November 2014 80 MN MN Nov14 Layout 66-81.indd 80 10/23/2014 10:48:26 AM
