LNG

Venture Global has filed with the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), seeking authorization to place its Phase 1 Plaquemines LNG export terminal into service, the final regulatory hurdle before commercial start-up. If approved, Venture Global could meet its targeted Q4-2026 commercial operation date.

Glenfarne and Alaska Gasline Development Corp are working to transform Letters of Intent (LoI) from JERA and TotalEnergies of France into firm, financeable offtake contracts, a critical step toward a final investment decision (FID) on the long-mooted $54 billion Alaska LNG export venture.

Germany’s energy industry association BDEW has urged the government to seek an exemption from EU methane rules for imported LNG and to suspend the market-area conversion levy on gas storage facilities, arguing the measures are adding to the cost of replenishing storage ahead of winter.

SEFE, Germany’s state-owned gas importer, has been instructed to buy and store an additional 8 TWh of natural gas by December 15, as Berlin seeks to strengthen winter supply in the face of tight global LNG markets and persistent supply risk to shipments from the Middle East.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has said it received a report late on Wednesday that an LNG tanker has been struck in the Strait of Hormuz by an unknown projectile. Authorities are investigating. Vessels are advised to transit with caution.

NextDecade has received a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for its Rio Grande LNG Train 6 expansion, designed to add 6.03 mtpa of liquefaction capacity. The Army Corps approval covers work associated with the Train 6 expansion, notably construction of new liquefaction train and a third marine berth.

China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) has urged state LNG buyers – CNOOC, CNPC, Sinopec and PetroChina – to stop LNG resales through the remainder of 2026 and into early 2027, as Beijing seeks to strengthen domestic gas availability during the winter heating season.

Europe’s power sector will cross the 80% zero-carbon generation threshold by 2030 but slower offshore wind deployment will keep gas-fired generation higher than previously forecast, creating a need for LNG imports. Natural gas generation across 35 European markets is expected to average 6% above Wood Mackenzie’s previous forecast between 2026 and 2040.

Shell – and its partners PETRONAS, PetroChina, Mitsubishi and KOGAS – have taken a final investment decision (FID) on the second phase of LNG Canada, approving a C$33 billion expansion that will double the British Columbia export terminal’s production capacity to 28 mtpa.

The project will add two liquefaction trains at the Kitimat facility, raising total capacity from 14 mtpa. Commercial operations are expected to begin in the early 2030s, Shell announced today.

FID on the second phase of LNG Canada marks a major expansion of the country’s LNG industry, with the Shell-led project being the country’s first large-scale LNG export project – positioned on the Pacific coast to supply customers in Asia.

Shell owns 40% of LNG Canada and expects to receive nearly 6 mtpa of additional LNG from Phase 2. The other partners are Malaysia’s Petronas, with a 25% stake; PetroChina, with 15%; Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation, with 15%; and Korea Gas Corporation, with 5%.

Project partners’ approval comes as LNG producers and buyers prepare for a period of strong growth in global liquefaction capacity. New projects in North America and elsewhere are expected to add substantial supply during the late 2020s and early 2030s.

LNG Canada’s first phase comprises two trains with combined capacity of 14 mtpa. The facility began operations in 2025 and has since shipped more than 100 cargoes. Phase 2 will use existing infrastructure and site layouts designed to accommodate the additional trains. The expansion will include an additional LNG storage tank, a condensate tank and loading berth, as well as expanded utility and process systems.

To secure a stable flow of feedgas, LNG Canada partners also agreed to work with Coastal GasLink to expand the existing 670-kilometre pipeline through the addition of five compressor stations.

Italian utility Edison has confirmed that QatarEnergy will not deliver LNG cargoes to its Adriatic regasification terminal until the beginning of December 2026. The Qatari state company extended force majeure, saying it would not be able to deliver another six cargoes.