Freeport LNG's export plant in Texas appeared on track to pull in about 1.2 Bcf/d of natural gas from pipelines on March 2, Refinitiv data showed, a sign it likely started the second of three liquefaction trains at the plant.
The plant in Texas, the second-biggest U.S. LNG export plant, started to exit an eight-month outage in February as caused by a fire in June 2022.
Energy traders said any gas flows over 0.9 Bcf/d likely mean Freeport LNG restarted the second of the plant's three liquefaction trains since each train can turn about 0.7 Bcf/d of gas into LNG for export.
LNG export plants also use some gas to fuel other equipment, so flows above 0.7 Bcf/d do not necessarily mean the startup of a second train, traders have said.
The plant pulled in about 0.8 Bcf/d of gas from Feb. 22 to Feb. 27, 0.9 Bcf/d on Feb. 28, 1.0 Bcf/d on March 1 and was on track to pull in about 1.2 Bcf/d on March 2, according to Refinitiv data.
When operating at full power, Freeport LNG's three trains can turn about 2.1 Bcf/d of gas into LNG for export.
Freeport LNG said last week that the plant could be consuming about 2 Bcf/d of feedgas "over the next several weeks". Some analysts, however, have said the plant will likely not return to full capacity until the end of April.
Federal regulators have already approved the restart of two liquefaction trains. On Feb. 27, Freeport LNG asked regulators for permission to restart the third.
The total amount of gas flowing to the seven big U.S. LNG export plants, including Freeport LNG, jumped to 12.8 Bcf/d in February from 12.3 Bcf/d in January. That is just shy of the 12.9- Bcf/d monthly record set in March 2022.
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