LNG

Iraq is looking to join the LNG importers’ club, as it faces uncertainty over Iranian pipeline gas supplies, which could result in electricity shortages.

The country was said to be in talks to secure a vessel to use as an FLNG import terminal, according to a Bloomberg report.

A plan is being discussed with an undisclosed UAE-based firm to import LNG and procure the floating terminal, Hamza Abdul Baqi, Director General of Iraq’s South Gas Co, confirmed in an interview last week.

Iraq’s first foray into buying LNG comes as the US ended a sanction waiver for electricity imports from Iran, as part of President Donald Trump’s plan to put pressure on Tehran.

However, to contract a floating import unit before demand rises in the summer could be difficult, as the units normally take over a year to deploy and their availability is currently scarce.

Iranian power purchases make up a small share of Iraq’s total electricity consumption. Yet Iraq is dependent on Iranian gas to run its generating plants. But supplies have been haphazard, due to technical and payment issues.

The US move also complicates gas purchases from Iran, and a decline would likely result in more blackouts during the very hot summer.

Pipeline flows had already stopped to power plants in Baghdad and the central Euphrates region for the past two months, electricity ministry spokesman Ahmed Moussa told Iraq news agency INA early last week.

Supply to power plants in southern Iraq has also been unstable, he added.

Iraq has been working on plans to secure fuel from other sources, including the mooring of FSRUs at its ports to import as much as 500 mill standard cu ft per day of LNG.

The country had said it expected to make this operational before this summer.

An FLNG import terminal, once installed, could make up about 50% of the gas that Iraq’s was receiving from Iran, Abdul Baqi added.

However, FSRUs can take more than a year to install and the rapid deployment of several units in Europe, primarily Germany, after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, took months to become operational, which has caused a unit shortage. 

Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi, held a meeting with Excelerate Energy CEO, Steven Kobos, to explore co-operation in LNG technology and expertise transfer at last week’s CERAweek, it has been revealed.

Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras is in talks with US LNG suppliers for a long-term import deal, an executive has revealed.

Canadian gas developer, ARC Resources has entered into a long-term LNG sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with ExxonMobil LNG Asia Pacific (EMLAP), an ExxonMobil affiliate.

Cheniere Energy has announced that substantial completion of Train 1 at the Corpus Christi Stage 3 liquefaction project (CCL3) was achieved on 16th March, 2025.

Commissioning is complete and Cheniere’s engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) partner, Bechtel Energy has turned over care, custody, and control of Train 1 and associated systems to Cheniere.

With this achievement, financial results from LNG sales from Train 1 going forward will be reflected in the statement of operations of Cheniere and its applicable affiliates.

“The substantial completion of the first train of CCL Stage 3 - ahead of schedule and on budget - marks another important milestone for Cheniere and further builds upon the track record of excellence in execution consistently delivered by the Cheniere and Bechtel teams,” said Jack Fusco, Cheniere’s President and CEO.

“We remain focused on safely and efficiently bringing the remaining CCL Stage 3 trains online ahead of schedule, providing much-needed new LNG supply to the global market, and creating long-term value for our stakeholders by growing the Corpus Christi platform with disciplined, brownfield growth," he said.

Full notice to proceed on CCL3 was issued to Bechtel by Cheniere in June, 2022, with first LNG production from Train 1 achieved in December, 2024 and the first cargo loaded in February, 2025.

CCL3 consists of seven mid-scale trains, with an expected total production capacity of over 10 mill tonnes per annum of LNG.

As of 31st January, 2025, overall CCL3 project completion was 78.3%, which reflects engineering 97.6% complete, procurement 97.2% complete, sub-contract work 88.8% complete and construction 45.5% complete.

Upon substantial completion of all seven trains of the project, the expected total production capacity of the Corpus Christi liquefaction facility will be over 25 mill tonnes per annum, Cheniere said. 

Diversified shipowner with LNGC interests, Asyad Shipping Co, has listed on the Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX), following the completion of an IPO.

In a boost to the beleaguered Mozambique LNG project, the US has provided almost $5 bill in funding.

US engineering giant, Baker Hughes has signed a framework agreement with NextDecade Corp whereby the latter plans to utilise Baker Hughes’ equipment for Rio Grande LNG.

NextDecade will take delivery of Baker Hughes’ gas turbine and refrigerant compressor technology and will also agree a contractual services agreements for maintenance work on the equipment for Trains 4 through 8 at the Rio Grande LNG.

“Utilising Baker Hughes’ industry-leading rotating equipment and their maintenance services is critical to ensuring the Rio Grande LNG Facility operates efficiently and reliably,” explained Matt Schatzman, NextDecade Chairman and CEO.

“We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Baker Hughes, as we progress our plans to make the Rio Grande LNG Facility one of the largest LNG production and export facilities in the world,” he said.

“Baker Hughes is proud to continue our long-standing relationship with NextDecade, providing advanced gas technology solutions that enhance the efficiency and reliability of their LNG operations,” added Lorenzo Simonelli, Chairman and CEO of Baker Hughes. “This agreement is a further example
of our commitment to delivering innovative solutions in support of increasing energy demand.”

NextDecade claimed to be making excellent progress on commercialising Rio Grande LNG Trains 4 and 5 and expects to make positive final investment decisions (FIDs) and commence construction on Trains 4 and 5 and related infrastructure at Rio Grande LNG, subject to, among other things, maintaining the required governmental approvals, finalising and entering into EPC contracts, entering into appropriate commercial arrangements, and obtaining adequate financing to construct each train and its related infrastructure.

NextDecade is developing and starting the permitting process for Trains 6 through 8, which are wholly owned by the company and are cumulatively expected to increase its total liquefaction capacity by around 18 mill tonnes per annum once coming online.

Baker Hughes also said that it expected orders, in relation to this agreement, as Rio Grande progresses. 

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