US LNG Exports: Pangea Project Gets Green Light

US Department of Energy grants Pangea LNG Project permission to export LNG from its South Texas LNG Project, Corpus Christi Bay.

The U.S. Department of Energy has granted Pangea long-term, multi-contract authorization to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to free trade agreement (FTA) nations.

Pangea LNG will be authorized to export up to 8 million metric tons per annum (mtpa) of LNG produced from domestic gas fields for a 25-year term commencing on the date of its first export.  That amount is equal to 1.09 Bcf/day of natural gas.

Pangea LNG has also filed an application with DOE requesting authorization to export LNG to any country with which the U.S. does not have a free trade agreement in effect. That application, which was filed in December, is pending.

"Approval by the US DOE is a positive step forward for this project, which represents a significant investment in the development of the LNG market in the U.S.," said John Godbold , Pangea LNG project director. "Exporting LNG will help stabilize U.S. natural gas prices, grow and sustain drilling and production jobs, and stimulate additional investment in developing the country's gas reserves."

DOE approval of FTA authorization is part of the regulatory process necessary to develop Pangea LNG's new LNG export terminal on a 550-acre site. The site is located on the 45-foot deep La Quinta Ship Channel which is part of the Port of Corpus Christi, the sixth busiest U.S. seaport in terms of tonnage.

The South Texas LNG Project is subject to federal, state and local regulatory approvals with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) acting as the lead federal agency. Pangea will begin the FERC pre-filing process by the second quarter of 2013 and expects the project to be in operation by at least 2018.