LNG

June 28 (LNGJ) - Venture Global LNG, whose existing Calcasieu Pass export plant in Cameron Parish in Louisiana, has still to formally finish its commissioning process that has lasted over two years, has welcomed the go-ahead from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to build another plant adjacent to the Calcasieu Pass facility and called CP2.

   “Venture Global applauds the Commission and FERC staff for their independent and thorough review and approval of CP2 LNG,” said Michael Sabel, Chief Executive of Venture Global, after being approved to produce 20 million tonnes per annum of LNG. CP2 has 20-year sales and purchase agreements with companies such as US majors ExxonMobil and Chevron, Japan’s JERA and Inpex Corp., New Fortress Energy of the US and several German utilities.

Feb 5 (LNGJ) - Europe’s largest liquefied natural gas import terminal, the UK’s Isle of Grain facility on the Medway River near London, has followed up its capacity agreement with the Algerian energy company Sonatrach by signing a second deal with US company Venture Global with its Calcasieu Pass export plant in Louisiana and three other facilities being developed. “The Grain LNG terminal is an important gateway to the broader European market, and we look forward to supplying the region through this new access point for years to come,” said Michael Sabel, Chief Executive of Venture Global.

   Grain LNG, owned by a subsidiary of National Grid Plc, said a 16-year agreement was signed with Venture Global for around 3 million tonnes per annum of capacity from 2029 as a result of Grain LNG’s competitive auction process which was launched in September 2023. “I’m delighted that we are able to announce the second result from our September auction, commencing a long-term partnership with Venture Global,” said Katie Jackson President of National Grid Ventures, the UK grid operator’s subsidiary that owns the LNG terminal.

Shell has joined with the other UK-based major BP to file a complaint with the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) against LNG developer Venture Global claiming the Arlington, Virginia-based company was “illegally withholding information” about delays in delivering LNG from its Calcasieu Pass export plant in Louisiana.

Venture Global LNG, the US operator of the Calcasieu Pass export plant in Louisiana and developer of three other export project in the US Gulf Coast state, has signed a 20-year supply deal with the former Gazprom Germania that was taken over by the German Government.

April 28 (LNGJ) - Venture Global LNG has signed a long-term sales and purchase agreement with Japan’s largest LNG buyer, JERA Co. Inc. The SPA is for 1 million tonnes per annum of cargoes for a 20-year period from CP2 project, so called because it will be constructed adjacent to the existing Calcasieu Pass export facility.

   The US company said the JERA deal means it has already sold over a third of the 20 MTPA nameplate capacity prosed for the CP2 project. “Venture Global is thrilled to be expanding our partnership with JERA, one of the world's premiere energy providers,” said Chief Executive Michael Sabel.

Venture Global LNG, the operator of the Calcasieu Pass export plant in Louisiana and developer of three other plants in the US Gulf Coast state, said it had successfully raised the roof of the second LNG storage tank at the Plaquemines LNG export project in Louisiana.

Venture Global, based in Arlington, Virginia, said the roof-raising was completed ahead of schedule and came just seven weeks after the roof-raising for tank one.

“This represents another major milestone in the construction of Plaquemines LNG, with both roofs now raised for the tanks serving Phase One,” said Michael Sabel, Chief Executive of Venture Global.

“With Phase One deep into construction and our recent final investment decision and full notice to proceed on Phase Two, Plaquemines is well positioned to be the next new major LNG capacity to reach the global market,” Sabel explained.

Four tanks

This is the second tank of four in total being constructed for Plaquemines, located on the banks of the Mississippi and south of New Orleans.

When operational each tank will be capable of storing 200,000 cubic metres of LNG.

“The roof weighs 900 tons and is 294 feet in diameter. Air raising allows for better and safer access as well as a faster construction schedule, as the roof can be erected concurrently with the shell. The tank dome was raised in 71 minutes using 0.3 psi of pressure underneath the roof,” the company said.

“It was raised from ground level to top of the wall height of 130 feet. Eventually, the tank will have an inner tank made from 9% nickel alloy and an outer wall and outer roof made from concrete to provide full containment of the LNG and provide the maximum level of resilience and safety,” added Venture Global.

The company’s existing export plant, the Calcasieu Pass facility in Cameron Parish in Louisiana, is located south of the city of Lake Charles and shipped its first cargo at the start of March 2022.

The Calcasieu Pass facility comprises 18 small-scale modular liquefaction Trains each with 0.626 million tonnes per annum of capacity and configured in 9 blocks for total nameplate output of 11.26 MTPA.

However, Venture Global has plans for more future output of about 60 MTPA of LNG export capacity.

The company’s three other projects, including the CP2 (Calcasieu Pass 2) venture, are each expected to have nameplate capacity of around 20 MTPA.

As well as the Plaquemines plant there is the Delta LNG project to be constructed on a 540-acre site also in Plaquemines Parish on the banks of the Mississippi.

Venture Global LNG, owner of the newest US export plant at Calcasieu Pass in Louisiana and with three other projects in development, has signed two long-term supply agreements with a German utility with cargo deliveries starting in 2026.

Chart Industries, the US maker of equipment for LNG and industrial gases facilities, has received a full notice to proceed (FNTP) for the production of cold boxes and brazed aluminum heat exchangers for Venture Global’s Plaquemines LNG export plant on west bank of the Mississippi River.

The Chart equipment will be for the first phase of the venture with production of 10 million tonnes per annum.

“In conjunction with the FNTP, Chart booked the full equipment order of $136 million for the Plaquemines project from Baker Hughes,” said Chart.

“Chart will begin recognizing revenue on this project in 2022 with a multi-year staggered delivery schedule,” explained Atlanta, Georgia-based Chart.

Chart is benefiting from the LNG boom on the US Gulf Coast and after supplying equipment for the Plaquemines plant, it has also been contracted as a supplier for Cheniere Energy’s Corpus Christi plant expansion and for Tellurian’s Driftwood LNG project.

The Plaquemines project is under preliminary site preparation on the river bank 30 miles south of New Orleans.

First phase production will comprise nine modular blocks with the 10 MTPA of output eventually followed by nine additional block for 20 MTPA in total.

Funding

Venture Global had already raised $500 million of funding in transactions arranged by American and Japanese banks to finance construction activities at Plaquemines.

The Arlington, Virginia-based company previously closed a term-loan involving JPMorgan Chase Bank, Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Bank of America and Japan’s third-largest banking group, Mizuho Bank.

Venture Global is currently developing 70 MTPA in four projects in Louisiana.

The most advanced plant in terms of construction is Calcasieu Pass in Cameron Parish in Louisiana, south of Lake Charles, with 10 MTPA of capacity and which was shipped its first cargo on March 1.

The other three projects are expected to each produce around 20 MTPA of LNG.

In addition to the Plaquemines and Calcasieu Pass developments, Venture Global is planning two other plants, Delta LNG on the Mississippi and CP2 LNG, which would be built on a 540-acre site in Cameron Parish, adjacent to the Calcasieu Pass facility.

The 174,100 cubic metres capacity LNG carrier “Yiannis” has arrived at Venture Global’s LNG export plant, America’s newest, at Calcasieu Pass in Louisiana, signalling that the first cargo is expected to be lifted in the next 48 hours.