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Faster Approvals for LNG Export to Non-FTA Countries

Maritime Activity Reports, Inc.

August 18, 2014

 

Liquefied Natural Gas Limited has advised that the U.S. Department of Energy has revised procedures that could result in faster approval of applications to export LNG to non-Free Trade Agreement (Non-FTA) countries.

The company had in October 2013 applied for approval to export 8 million tonnes of LNG per annum from its Magnolia LNG project at Port of Lake Charles, Louisiana, to non-FTA countries.

Securing Non-FTA approval will allow the company’s proposed LNG toller’s to export their LNG to all major global LNG
markets Managing Director Maurice Brand said “DOE reiterates that the procedural changes will enable it to focus on projects that are more likely to advance to commercial operation, referencing commencement and continued progress  through and completion  of  the National Environmental  Policy Act  (NEPA) process as an  indicator.  Importantly,  focusing on these real projects will aid DOE in assessing cumulative market and other impacts.  By placing  the most viable projects  first based on objective  factors like  the completion of  the  robust NEPA review, DOE’s  new  procedures  ensure  that  such  projects  are  not disadvantaged  by  the  creation  of  an artificially high cumulative  non-­-FTA  export  volume  from  projects  that  have  not  made  significant  progress towards securing authorisation for the physical export facilities”.

“Magnolia LNG is well advanced in the NEPA process at FERC.  Based on the current state of the regulatory review,  we  expect  to  receive  the  draft  Environmental  Impact  Statement  (DEIS)  in  2014,  and  the  Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) likely will issue approximately 4 months after the DEIS. With today’s announced final revised DOE process, Magnolia LNG is confident that it will advance more quickly to its Non-­-FTA  uthorisation because  the  trigger  for  commencement  of  the  Non-­-FTA  process now  is  based  on completion of the FERC NEPA process, rather than  the old queue,” said Mr Brand.
 

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