Tanker at Venture Global LNG’s Plaquemines Plant Suggests First LNG Soon
(Reuters) - The Venture Bayou, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker, was anchored near the mouth of the Mississippi River early Monday on its way to Venture Global LNG's Plaquemines export plant under construction in Louisiana, data from financial firm LSEG showed.
The data showed the vessel was at 78% of maximum draft, meaning it was available to take a cargo of LNG. Vessels over 90% of max draft were usually full or at least partially full of fuel.
Energy analysts have said they were waiting for a vessel to go to the plant as a sign that the facility was moving closer to producing first LNG.
In late August, another tanker, called the Qogir, arrived at Plaquemines from Norway full of LNG. Analysts said Qogir, which left Plaquemines in late September with less LNG, likely dropped off some of the super-cooled fuel to cool parts of the plant as it prepares for eventual startup.
Officials at the company were not immediately available for comment on the Venture Bayou. In the past, analysts have said they expect Plaquemines to start producing LNG in test mode and export its first test cargo before the end of the year.
Plaquemines, meanwhile, started pulling in very small amounts of natural gas from U.S. pipelines in late June. The plant has been pulling in very small amounts of pipeline gas every day since mid-September, according to LSEG data.
Venture Global has said that building the two phases at Plaquemines would entail an investment of about $21 billion.
Analysts have said they expect Venture Global to complete work on the first 1.8-billion cubic feet per day (Bcfd) phase of Plaquemines from 2024 to 2026 and the second 1.2-Bcfd phase from 2025 to 2026.
The United States is already the world's biggest LNG exporter with seven export plants able to turn about 13.8 Bcfd of gas into about 104.6 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of LNG.
One billion cubic feet is enough gas to supply about five million U.S. homes for a day.
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