LNG

The US Department of Energy published its latest liquefied natural gas export data with the Netherlands as the leading destination for the first 11 months of 2023 while the leadership in highest prices remained with the Calcasieu Pass export plant in Louisiana.

Kinder Morgan Inc (KMI), the leading US pipeline feed-gas company for liquefied natural gas plants and a key energy infrastructure developer, reported third-quarter net income of $576 million, up from $495M in the prior-year quarter, as the executive team forecast a continuing and deepening LNG boom on the Gulf Coast.

LNG Canada, the Shell-led project in the province of British Columbia, has named Shell executive Jason Klein as the new Chief Executive of the project, now described as 60 percent complete and also moving onto gas-processing infrastructure development to join with the Coastal GasLink.

Shell said Klein joins LNG Canada from Shell Canada, where he served as Vice President of Canada Integrated Gas. Klein replaces outgoing CEO Peter Zebedee.

The company said Klein brought to the position “a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of LNG, its role in the global energy transition to lower carbon energy and the part LNG Canada will play” in that transition.

The UK-based major noted in the statement that the project at Kitimat in BC was the largest private investments in Canadian history and was a long-life asset with a 40-year export licence that will initially produce 14 million tonnes per annum of LNG for export.

“I’m excited to join the team, especially at this time with construction in Kitimat progressing steadily and safely towards completion and the organization preparing for decades of successful operations,” explained Klein.

“LNG Canada and its joint venture participants are committed to setting the benchmark for economically, environmentally and socially responsible LNG development in Canada, creating a positive and lasting legacy with First Nations, the local community and all British Columbians based on our values of safety, collaboration, respect and transparency,” he stated.

Upstream to LNG

Klein began his career with Shell in 2016, following its global acquisition of BG Group where Jason held assignments in the Middle East, Europe, North America and Australia in roles spanning the legal function, upstream operations and LNG developments over a period of 13 years (starting in 2003).

“Following the BG takeover, Klein became Vice President US LNG within Shell’s Integrated Gas business, responsible for leading its development of the Elba Island LNG project near Savannah, Georgia,” added the Shell statement.

He has a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Trinity University in San Antonio in Texas and a Doctorate in Jurisprudence from the University of Texas School of Law.

“Jason takes over accountability for LNG Canada at a very important and active time,” said Susannah Pierce, Shell Canada President and Country Chairperson.

“He has extensive background in natural gas and LNG and a commitment to ensuring LNG Canada’s relationships with First Nations, communities and other stakeholders remain strong and resilient,” added Pierce.

LNG Canada remains on track and there are currently around 5,000 Canadians employed at its Kitimat site.

A huge natural gas inlet module that will take volumes off the Coastal GasLink pipeline arrived on site in March and marked what the company said was the “next phase” of development. 

Liquefied natural gas prices increased in Europe as spot values for North Asia eased slightly while cargo liftings began to decline at Atlantic and Pacific Basin export plants and confusion reigned in oil markets where signals were conflicting.

Kinder Morgan, the US natural gas pipeline operator and stakeholder in LNG exports and projects, reported first-quarter net income of $1.40 billion compared was a net loss of $306M in the prior-year quarter and said a new Louisiana pipeline expansion to serve Train 6 at Sabine Pass LNG was on track.

The US expects that the consumption of domestic natural gas will average 82.9 billion cubic feet per day in 2021, lower than in the previous year as prices rise, while US monthly LNG exports are reaching levels to be just short of shipment totals from the largest global suppliers Australia and Qatar.

US pipeline operator Kinder Morgan said a minority stake of 25 percent had been sold in the 9,000-mile Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America, which supplies city gas to Chicago and feed gas to LNG plants on the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana.

Kinder Morgan Inc., the US pipelines company and owner of the US Elba Island LNG export plant, has been given permission by US regulators to introduce feed-gas into the ninth of 10 small-scale processing Trains at the Georgia facility.

Kinder Morgan Inc., the US pipelines company and owner of the US Elba Island LNG export plant, said it began to restart two of the three liquefaction units shutdown after a fire last week in a mixed-refrigerant compressor at the LNG facility near Savannah in Georgia.

Kinder Morgan Inc., the US pipelines company and owner of the US Elba Island LNG export plant, confirmed that three liquefaction units were still shutdown after a fire last week in a mixed-refrigerant compressor at the LNG facility near Savannah in Georgia.