Venture Global LNG Seeks Authorization for First LNG Cargo at Plaquemines

(Reuters) – U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) company Venture Global LNG sought authorization on Thursday from U.S. energy regulators by Aug. 30 to unload the first LNG commissioning cargo at the Plaquemines export plant under construction in Louisiana.

A week ago, the LNG tanker Qogir docked at Plaquemines, arriving from Norway, as reported by Venture Global and financial firm LSEG. Analysts noted that Venture Global will use this LNG to cool parts of the facility as part of its testing and commissioning process.

Venture Global officials were not immediately available for comment. Earlier this week, the company confirmed that the Qogir docked at Plaquemines but offered no additional information.

On Thursday, Venture Global filed with the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for authorization to unload the first LNG commissioning cargo on or after Aug. 30.

LNG plants under construction, like Plaquemines, utilize super-cooled fuel for equipment testing and cooling in preparation for startup. In addition to the Qogir, another LNG vessel, the Venture Gator, which was not fully loaded, was anchored nearby in the Mississippi River. Analysts speculate that this vessel, available for orders, may also head to Plaquemines.

Starting in late June, Plaquemines began pulling in small amounts of natural gas from U.S. pipelines. Analysts predict the plant could start converting gas to small LNG quantities in test mode in the coming months.

Venture Global has indicated that constructing the two phases at Plaquemines will require an investment of approximately $21 billion. Analysts expect the completion of the first 1.8-billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) phase from 2024 to 2026, and the second 1.2-bcfd phase from 2025 to 2026.

Currently, the U.S. stands as the world’s largest LNG exporter, with seven export plants capable of processing about 13.8 bcfd of gas into approximately 104.6 million tonnes per year (MTPA) of LNG. One billion cubic feet can supply about five million U.S. homes for a day.