LNG

Enagás, the Spanish natural gas operator of six large LNG terminals and with gas assets in other European countries and overseas, reported an increase in first-quarter 2024 earnings even as gas demand in Spain declined because of warmer weather.

Enagás, the Spanish gas grid and terminals operator, increased profits in the first six months of 2023 helped by one-time items as LNG activities increased to help the European Union’s natural gas shortfall and the utility also boosted future capacity on the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline from Azerbaijan.

The company’s net profits jumped to €172.8M including a net gain of €42.2M from the sale of a stake in the Morelos Pipeline in Mexico and an €133.8M adjustment relating to the Tallgrass Energy operations in the US.

“The Spanish Gas System operated 100 percent availability, Spain increased its total gas exports by 55 percent in the first half of the year and ship reloading has increased by 67 percent, contributing to Europe's security of supply,” Enagás stated.

Italy was a main destination for LNG re-exports to Europe while pipeline gas connections increased by 33 percent to 28.6 terawatt hours. The company already trans-ships LNG to the EU from terminals like Barcelona.

“Spain's underground natural gas storage facilities are at 98 percent capacity, an all-time high for the month of July,” it added.

Revenues up

The Madrid-based company reported first-half revenues of €450.5M, a drop of 5.8 percent from €472.2M registered in the first six months of 2022.

Enagás said it was still on track to meet the full-year earnings target of between €310M and €320M.

Enagás added that in July it closed the agreement announced in January to acquire an additional 4 percent stake from European trader AXPO in the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) for €168M, taking its stake in the pipeline bringing Azerbaijan gas to Europe up to 20 percent.

During the first half, Enagás contracted additional transport capacity of 1.2 billion cubic metres from TAP, in addition to the current 10 Bcm starting in 2026.

During an eventful first half, Enagás noted the start-up of the El Musel LNG trans-shipment terminal in the Port of Gijón in northwest Spain and the assignment of its logistics services to the European utility Endesa.

“The terminal has already received two LNG shipments and will start commercial operation on July 31 after a capacity allocation process that has aroused great interest,” the company added.

Another highlight was the agreement with regional gas company Reganosa through which Enagás acquired its 130-kilometres of strategic gas pipelines in northern Spain and Reganosa agreed to purchase a 25 percent stake in the El Musel regasification terminal.

“The closing of the deal was expected in the second half of this year,” said the company.

In LNG activities outside of Spain, Enagás became an industrial partner with a 10 percent stake in the Hanseatic Energy Hub consortium planning an onshore LNG import terminal at the German North Sea port of Stade.

Enagás, the Spanish natural gas grid and LNG terminals operator. posted a 15 percent increase in net profits and said the network of six LNG terminals had saved the country money and confirmed the opening in early 2023 of a seventh and existing LNG export terminal dedicated to European Union supplies.

Enagás, the Spanish gas grid and LNG terminals operator as well as a shareholder in the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), said the US was its main liquefied natural gas supplier in the first quarter followed by Algeria and Nigeria as LNG deliveries increased substantially and European Union gas supplies became tight.

July 27 (LNGJ) - Enagás, the Spanish gas grid and LNG terminals operator as well as a shareholder in the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), posted first-half net profits of €213.1 million ($251.2M), with greater contributions from subsidiaries while total demand for natural gas in Spain increased by 6.3 percent in the first six months of 2021.

   The company said that the contribution to earnings from the US Tallgrass Energy pipelines unit and the TAP represented 40.4 percent of the total. Enagás said that since being commissioned at the end of 2020, the TAP pipeline that links Turkey with Italy through Greece and Albania had delivered 3 billion cubic metres of gas to customers through the end of June 2021.

Enagás, the Spanish natural gas network operator and LNG terminal owner, said its terminals unloaded 190 LNG cargoes in the first nine months of 2020, 4 percent more than in 2019, including 64 shipments in the third quarter as the gas market recovered to pre-Covid-19 levels.

Enagás, the Spanish natural gas network operator and LNG terminal owner, said its terminals unloaded 126 LNG cargoes in the first half of 2020, 12.5 percent more than in the same period of last year as gas demand in Spain begins to return to pre-Covid-19 levels.

Enagas, the Spanish natural gas network owner and operator of LNG terminals, posted 2.3 percent higher nine-month net profits of 333.1 million euros ($371M) as demand for natural gas in Spain reached its highest level in 10 years.

Enagas, the Spanish gas network owner and LNG terminal operator, posted a more than 7 percent drop in first-quarter revenues as it reported progress on the Trans Adriatic Pipeline connecting Turkey with Italy via Greece and Albania and reflected on a US acquisition.

Enagas, the Spanish natural gas network and LNG terminal owner, has entered the US energy infrastructure market by investing in Tallgrass Energy, whose assets include 11,000 kilometres of transmission pipelines.

The Spanish company said the transaction is part of its strategy to invest in core business assets in growth markets on an international basis alongside strategic partners.

Enagas, which already has investments in LNG import terminals on the American continent, at Altamira in Mexico and Quintero in Chile, has entered into an agreement with the equity funds, Blackstone of the US and GIC of Singapore, to invest $590 million for a 10.93 percent indirect ownership interest in Tallgrass Energy.

Tallgrass, based in Leawood in the Midwest state of Kansas, has assets including the Rockies Express Pipeline, one of the largest US pipelines that is being transformed into the nation’s northernmost bi-directional natural gas gathering system.

Enagas explained that its investment is in the holding company that owns 100 percent of TGE’s general partner, as well as 43.91 percent of the economic interests in TGE .

The investment is structured so that Blackstone retains a majority stake, GIC has a minority shareholding, as does Enagas with 24.90 percent of the holding company.

Following the closing of the transaction, Enagas has agreed to acquire an additional 3.52 percent of the holding company for around $83M, subject to completion of certain conditions. The Spanish company has also agreed to future investments of up to $300M in TGE.

“As an industrial partner, Enagas will have a seat on the company's Board of Directors, contributing its know-how in operating and developing energy infrastructure,” said Enagas.

Enagas has four domestic LNG import terminals around Spain at Barcelona in the northeast, Cartagena in the southeast, Huelva in the southwest and Gijon in the northwest.

It also owns a 50 percent stake in the facility serving the northwest city of Bilbao.

Other investments held by Enagas include its stake in Trans Adriatic Pipeline, part of Europe’s Southern Gas Corridor.

It is also part of a European gas grid group that acquired control of the Greek natural gas transmission operator DESFA.

“Enagas embarked on its internationalisation in 2011 as a part of an ongoing strategy with two main objectives, maintaining the maximum efficiency and security in the operation of the Spanish gas system, and to continue expanding as a company,” it said.

“This international expansion also helps drive the business of other Spanish industrial companies related to the energy sector,” added Enagas.

“This acquisition allows Enagas to unlock the value of its vast experience in developing and operating gas infrastructure and strengthen its position as industry leader and expert,” stated the company.

Wallace Henderson, Senior Managing Director in Blackstone Infrastructure Partners, said he was delighted Enagas had joined the investment consortium.

“With extensive midstream operations around the world, they bring valuable perspectives to Tallgrass that will benefit our investment and we look forward to their contributions,” added Henderson.