Sempra News

President Joe Biden paused pending approvals of exports from new liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects on Friday, a move cheered by climate activists that could delay decisions on new plants until after the November 5 election.The Department of Energy (DOE) will conduct a review during the pause that will look at the economic and environmental impacts of projects seeking approval to export LNG to Europe and Asia where the fuel is in hot demand.The review will take months and then will be open to public comment which will take further time…

A U.S. court has removed an emissions permit for Sempra's Port Arthur LNG export terminal in Texas, potentially halting construction of the facility.In its decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on Tuesday found that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) failed to impose the same emissions limits on the Port Arthur plant as on other projects, including the Rio Grande LNG project which is now under construction.The approximately 13.5 million-metric…

Carbon dioxide emissions from U.S. liquefied natural gas facilities have jumped to 18 million tons per year, up 81% since 2019, adding a volume of greenhouse gas to the atmosphere equivalent to that produced by several big coal plants, according to United States government data.They could more than double to 45 million tons per year by the end of the decade as new facilities, encouraged by soaring overseas demand for the super-cooled fuel, come online, according to company projections provided to the U.S.

U.S. Department of Energy reviews for liquefied natural gas (LNG) export permits have lengthened under President Joe Biden's administration to 11 months or more, from seven weeks, according to government data.The delay could mean nearly completed LNG projects may not being able to supply big European buyers because of a lack of the permit. Increasing LNG exports is opposed by some U.S. industries who fear it could raise domestic prices, while environmental groups have raised concerns about continued expansion of a fossil fuel industry.Big swaths of U.S.

Houston-based dredging contractor Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation announced it has been awarded a dredging and disposal contract in support of the Port Arthur LNG Phase 1 project.Great Lakes has been contracted by Bechtel Energy, the engineering, construction, and procurement company that’s managing the project in partnership with Sempra Infrastructure. The Port Arthur LNG project is a natural gas liquefaction and export terminal in Southeast Texas with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico.

Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines,(MOL) has signed a long-term agreement with INEOS Energy Trading, a subsidiary of UK-based INEOS Group Ltd., for the charter of two newbuild LNG carriers. This marks INEOS' entry into the LNG carrier market, and INEOS will use the vessel for the import of LNG into Germany from the United States. "These agreements are a significant milestone for INEOS Energy Trading following the long-term Sales and Purchase Agreement signed with Sempra for 1.4 mtpa of supply out of Port Arthur and the purchase of long-term regasification capacity in Brunsbuttel…

The path to decarbonization is defined by partnership and fueled by government funding. This month we examine the players, partnerships, and evolution of Hydrogen Hubs in the Gulf of Mexico.The Green Shipping Challenge, organized by the United States and Norway at COP 27 held in late 2022, brought about dozens of announcements on maritime decarbonization. Among these was a joint statement from the Blue Sky Maritime Coalition (BSMC) – a consortium of North American shipowners and…

U.S. power and gas utility Sempra Energy said on Monday the first phase of its proposed Port Arthur liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal received the financial greenlight to move ahead with investment firm KKR & Co agreeing to a minority stake in the project.Though KKR's investment was not disclosed, an infrastructure fund managed by it will buy a 25% to 49% indirect, non-controlling interest in the project. Sempra Infrastructure Partners, the 70%-owned unit of Sempra, would target 20% to 30% of indirect ownership interest in the project…

At least three proposed U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants have likely found enough customers to receive financial approvals this year, according to Reuters calculations, developments that would make the country the world's largest LNG exporter for years to come.After a dearth of plant approvals last decade, developers have secured dozens of long-term contracts to finance new multibillion-dollar LNG plants. The pace of approvals has accelerated as Europe has shifted…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is moving too slowly to allow states to permit and oversee carbon-reduction projects, according to Louisiana's governor, slowing millions of dollars in investments designed to tackle greenhouse gas reduction.Louisiana and other top oil-producing states say they can speed up permitting of carbon sequestration projects if allowed to handle decisions that currently fall under the EPA. There are dozens of these projects with multi-million…

RWE is holding talks with a larger number of suppliers of liquefied natural gas (LNG), not just Qatar and North America, CEO Markus Krebber said, as Germany's largest power producer continues its efforts to replace Russian gas volumes.RWE earlier this year said it was in discussions with potential LNG suppliers in the United States and Qatar, as Germany tries to diversify away from Russia, its largest supplier of natural gas.Sources told Reuters in May that talks with Qatar have proven difficult over a disagreement regarding key contract clauses…

ConocoPhillips said on Thursday it would take a 30% equity stake in Sempra Energy's Port Arthur liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Texas, as the U.S. oil and gas producer expands its LNG business to meet soaring demand.Western sanctions on Russian fuel has choked an already undersupplied market and sent buyers scrambling for the heating fuel.

Britain's INEOS Energy, part of INEOS Group, has signed an agreement with U.S. firm Sempra Infrastructure for the supply of 1.4 million tonnes per annum of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from North America for 20 years, it said on Wednesday.It marks INEOS's entry into the global LNG market, with the volumes intended both for trading and supplying of INEOS' own industrial needs in Europe.The LNG will be delivered free-on-board, from either the proposed Port Arthur LNG Phase 1 project or the Cameron LNG Phase 2 projects in the U.S.

At least six tankers set to load liquefied natural gas (LNG) at Freeport LNG this month have been diverted following the June 8 blast that shut the Texas facility, Refinitiv Eikon vessel tracking data showed.A partial restart of the Quintana, Texas, plant is not expected until at least September, the company said last week, leaving about 40 cargoes to be canceled or re-scheduled. The loss has European LNG buyers and some U.S. shale producers reeling, while rivals Cheniere Energy and Sempra LNG rush to produce more LNG to offset the losses.Freeport accounts for roughly 20% of U.S. LNG processing capacity, drawing 2.1 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) of natural gas, primarily from U.S. shale fields.

U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) fell about 8% last month, according to preliminary Refinitiv vessel tracking data on Monday, but Europe remained the top importer as the continent secures alternate supply following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.U.S. LNG exports to all destinations came to about 7.10 million tonnes (MT) last month, according to Refinitiv, down from a record high 7.67 MT in March.Europe was the top importer of U.S. LNG for a fifth straight month, taking about 64% of U.S. exports, according to the data.

A Russian-owned tanker carrying U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) arrived on Monday at anchorage outside the French port of Nantes Saint-Nazaire, according to vessel tracking data from Refinitiv.The Sovcomflot vessel SCF La Perouse was carrying LNG from Sempra Energy's Cameron LNG facility in the United States. France has not barred Russian vessels from arriving at its ports.The Elengy terminal in Montoir, where the tanker is scheduled to unload, is operating normally and has not changed its plan to handle the gas, a spokeswoman said. The LNG terminal is owned by energy and services firm Engie.The United States in February blacklisted Sovcomflot vessels over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Oil major BP said Monday that its BP Singapore branch had delivered its ‎first carbon offset liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo to CPC Corporation, Taiwan ‎‎(“CPC”), to the Yung An terminal in Taiwan in September 2021. The LNG was sourced ‎from BP’s LNG portfolio.‎"This is BP’s first delivery of carbon offset LNG in the Asia-Pacific region, following its ‎first delivery globally to Sempra LNG at the Energia Costa Azul terminal in Mexico in ‎July 2021. This new carbon offset LNG offer strengthens BP’s natural gas offering in ‎the region…

The investment outlook for liquefied natural gas (LNG) has improved this year but project go-aheads will not match the bonanza of 2019, as the fight against climate change clouds the prospects for gas demand growth longer term.Renewed optimism as the industry emerges from the pandemic, rapidly rebounding oil and gas prices and a better economic outlook is building confidence in short and long term LNG demand in Asia and spurring companies to look at new LNG projects, most of which were shelved last year when prices slumped.However, they need to take into account the ever tighter carbon emissio

Oil and gas exports from the United States have been severely disrupted by Hurricane Laura, with nearly a million barrels per day (bpd) of crude exports likely reduced this week by closures of U.S. Gulf Coast terminals and disruptions at ports.The hurricane also temporarily suspended operations at several liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in the world’s third largest exporter of the super-cooled gas, with shipments on track to fall to their lowest in 18 months.Laura made landfall early Thursday near the Texas-Louisiana border…

Loadings of liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes from the United States likely will be delayed as a powerful storm strikes the heart of the U.S. oil and gas industry on the Gulf Coast, forcing several LNG plants to shut.Hurricane Laura made landfall early on Thursday in southwestern Louisiana as one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the state, with forecasters warning it could push a wall of water 40 miles (64 km) inland from the sea. Landfall came near Louisiana's border…

Asian spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices hovered above $4 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) this week as cargo loadings from the United States were delayed due to a powerful hurricane.The average LNG price for October delivery into northeast Asia <LNG-AS> was estimated at about $4.05 per mmBtu, down five cents from the previous week.Loadings of LNG cargoes from the U.S. have been delayed following Hurricane Laura, which made landfall early Thursday near the Texas-Louisiana border and is one of the most powerful storms to ever hit the region.U.S.

Saudi Aramco’s shipping division Bahri has put on hold plans to charter up to 12 liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers after Sempra Energy delayed its decision on whether to proceed with an LNG export project in Texas, two sources said.Bahri issued an expression of interest (EOI) last year to charter the vessels from 2025 in Saudi Aramco’s first foray into LNG as part of the state oil giant’s plan to become a major global player in the gas market.In May last year, Aramco signed a 20-year agreement to buy LNG from Sempra Energy’s planned Port Arthur export terminal and also agreed to buy a 25% eq

BP, through bpGM, Sempra LNG, and IEnova have entered into a contract for the delivery and receipt of the two companies' first carbon offset LNG cargo. The cargo is expected to be delivered to the Energía Costa Azul (ECA) terminal in Mexico on July 16, 2021, and it will be sourced from BP’s global LNG portfolio, BP said."Global demand for natural gas and LNG is expected to continue to grow. IEnova and Sempra LNG each intend to continue supporting this growth by diversifying their offerings…