Maryland Cove Point LNG Export Plant to Start Work Next Week
Berkshire Hathaway Energy's Cove Point liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plant in Maryland will shut for about three weeks of maintenance starting around Sept. 20, according to pipeline data and analysts.Officials at Berkshire Hathaway Energy on Wednesday confirmed the pipeline and compressor station maintenance will start on Sept. 20 but would not confirm the shutdown of the liquefaction plant until about the day before an outage.Traders noted the reduction in gas flows to LNG export plants should weigh on U.S.
Panama Canal Welcomes Inaugural Transit of LNG Sakura
The Panama Canal welcomed the inaugural transit of the LNG Sakura as it carried the first-ever liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipment from the Dominion Cove Point terminal in the United States to Japan. The transit, which occurred this past weekend, marks the beginning of a new LNG commercial route between the United States and Asia from the recently inaugurated Dominion Cove Point terminal in Maryland, the second U.S. LNG export terminal to come online after Sabine Pass began operations in 2016. Dominion Cove Point has two main clients: ST Cove Point, a consortium consisting of Sumitomo Corporation and Tokyo Gas; and Gail Global LNG, a subsidiary of GAIL LTD of India.
First Cove Point LNG Lifting Departs Maryland
The first contractual liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo from Dominion Energy Inc's newly constructed Cove Point LNG export plant in Maryland in the United States left the facility on Monday, Thomson Reuters Eikon ship tracking data showed. The cargo is expected to act as a drag on spot LNG prices <LNG-AS> as it coincides with the resumption of exports of the fuel from the Papua New Guinea LNG plant, which had been shut following a powerful earthquake. The 160,000-cubic metre LNG tanker Adam LNG left Cove Point on Monday with a draft of 91 percent, suggesting it was full, according to the data. Its destination was not immediately clear. The facility has exported two commissioning or test cargoes already, which were sold to Royal Dutch Shell.
First LNG Export Cargo Departs Cove Point LNG
The Gemmata liquefied natural gas tanker left Dominion Energy Inc's Cove Point LNG export facility in Maryland early Friday, likely carrying the first export cargo from the facility that was expected to enter service in March, according to Reuters shipping data and energy traders. Officials at Dominion were not immediately available for comment. When the Gemmata docked at Cove Point earlier this week, analysts said it would likely be the first vessel to pick up fuel from the facility since the tanker came from Spain - a non-LNG exporting country - with less than a full cargo. Dominion has spent about $4 billion to add export facilities at Cove Point, long an LNG import terminal on the Chesapeake Bay.
Vessel Docks at Maryland Cove Point LNG Terminal
Gemmata could be the first vessel to pick up fuel from the facility since the tanker came from Spain - a non-LNG exporting country - with less than a full cargo, according to the shipping data. In addition to Gemmata, another vessel, the Methane Spirit, is also headed for Cove Point, according to the shipping data. Methane Spirit is located near Singapore and is expected to reach Cove Point around March 31. Once it enters service, Cove Point will be the second big LNG export terminal in the lower 48 U.S. Cove Point is designed to liquefy about 0.75 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) of gas. One bcfd can power about 5 million homes. In December, Dominion said Royal Dutch Shell Plc would take the initial LNG cargoes from Cove Point.
Cove Point LNG Terminal's First Export Imminent
Methane Spirit, a liquefied natural gas tanker, said on Thursday it would arrive at Dominion Energy Inc's Cove Point LNG export facility in Maryland around March 31, according to Reuters shipping data. If correct, that could be the first vessel to pick up a cargo from the LNG facility, which Virginia-based Dominion said it expects to enter service in March. Dominion said it planned to spend $4 billion to add export facilities at Cove Point, long an LNG import terminal on the Chesapeake Bay. The Methane Spirit is currently off the coast of Japan where it was expected to drop off a cargo from Australia, according to the shipping data. Once it enters service, Cove Point will be the second big LNG export terminal in the lower 48 U.S.
Dominion Starts Cove Point LNG Production
Dominion Energy Cove Point (DECP) has begun producing liquefied natural gas with its newly constructed natural gas liquefaction facility undergoing commissioning in Lusby, MD. All major equipment has been operated and is being commissioned as expected following a comprehensive round of testing and quality assurance activities. Shell NA LNG is providing the natural gas needed for liquefaction during the commissioning process and will off-take by ship the LNG that is produced. When commissioning is complete, DECP will produce LNG for ST Cove Point, which is the joint venture of Sumitomo Corporation and Tokyo Gas, and for GGULL, the U.S. affiliate of GAIL (India) LTD under 20-year take-or-pay contracts. DECP's liquefaction facility has a nameplate capacity of 5.25 mtpa of LNG.
