
(Source: Hart Energy)
U.S. LNG company Cheniere Energy Inc. said Aug. 25 it temporarily suspended operations and evacuated personnel at its Sabine Pass LNG export terminal in Louisiana as Hurricane Laura churns toward the plant site.
Laura is expected to strengthen into a major Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour (185 kilometers per hour) before hitting the coast near the Texas-Louisiana border early Thursday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
Sabine Pass, in Louisiana near the border with Texas, is the biggest LNG export plant in the U.S.
RELATED:
Hurricane Laura Poses Biggest Threat to US Oil in 15 Years (Updated 3:11 p.m. CT Aug. 25)
Two other LNG export plants are located near where Laura is expected to make landfall.
Cameron LNG said it plans to run the Cameron plant in Louisiana at "a reduced rate with a ride-out team of essential operations personnel."
Freeport LNG, a little further from where the hurricane is expected to hit, said it also plans to operate its Freeport plant in Texas, noting that adjustments will be made if necessary.
The amount of pipeline gas flowing to U.S. LNG export plants was on track to fall to a two-week low of 4.1 Bcf/d on Aug. 25 as vessels carrying LNG steered clear of the hurricane.
On a monthly basis, however, higher gas prices in Europe and Asia caused U.S. LNG exports to rise in August for the first time in six months. U.S. exports had dropped as demand plunged during the coronavirus pandemic.
Pipeline gas flowing to the U.S. plants climbed to an average of 4.5 Bcf/d this month, according to Refinitiv, up from a 21-month low of 3.3 Bcf/d in July.
Gulf of Mexico oil production shutdowns, meanwhile, approached the level of 2005's Hurricane Katrina as coastal refiners scramble to cut processing ahead of Laura.
Recommended Reading
E&P Tech Trends: What Chevron is Doing with Offsets that Other Companies Aren't [WATCH]
2023-03-21 - On this week's episode of Hart Energy Live's E&P Tech Trends, Barbara Harrison, Chevron's vice president of offsets and emerging technology, is with Hart Energy to talk about Chevron's exploration of offsets and geothermal systems.
E&P Tech Trends: How is OSDU on AWS Changing Data Management?
2023-03-28 - On this week's episode of Hart Energy Live's E&P Tech Trends, AWS' Scott Sanderson is with Hart Energy's Jennifer Pallanich to discuss the open subsurface data universe.
SUPER DUG 2023: Devon Energy's Clay Gaspar Emphasizes Long-term Approach [WATCH]
2023-05-22 - Devon Energy's Clay Gaspar said he is looking at the future of Devon Energy with 'a 2030 and a 2040 mindset.'
Hydrogen Initiative Takes Aim at Hydrogen Rainbow
2023-03-29 - GTI Energy’s Open Hydrogen Initiative is focused on developing and implementing global protocols, tools and best practices for assessing the carbon intensity of hydrogen.
SUPER DUG 2023: Diamondback Energy's Danny Wesson Talks M&A Competition [WATCH]
2023-05-23 - Diamondback Energy's Danny Wesson says that M&A in the Permian Basin "will continue to get more and more competitive for core inventory."