US LNG exporting giant Cheniere and compatriot engineer Bechtel are moving forward with works on the third jetty at the six-train 30 mtpa Sabine Pass facility in Louisiana.
Cheniere is adding the third marine berth and supporting facilities to boost operating flexibility at the Sabine Pass LNG facility.
The jetty will have the capability to load LNG carriers with a capacity of 125,000-180,000 cubic meters.
It will increase the maximum number of calls by LNG carriers with a capacity of up to 180,000 cbm at the plant by 180 per year, Cheniere previously said.
Cheniere won approval from FERC to build the jetty in February 2020 and after that issued a notice to proceed to Bechtel.
According to the latest construction update filed with FERC, the project was 84.2 percent complete as of April this year, against the plan of 89.6 percent.
Cheniere said in the update that engineering was 100 percent complete, procurement 93.5 percent, subcontracts 96.6 percent, while construction was 64.2 percent complete.
Launch nearing
During the month of April, construction completed the setting of modules three and four, and finished erecting the stick-built piperack, according to Cheniere.
Following FERC authorization to install aboveground piping and equipment on April 8, 2022, hydrocarbon piping installation has started in the stickbuilt piperack, it said.
In addition, April activities also included the completion of the upper LNG transfer arms.
Cheniere did not reveal in the update when it expects to complete the jetty. In the original schedule, the firm had expected to launch the jetty in the first quarter of 2023.
However, Cheniere said in its May investor presentation that operations of the jetty could start by the end of this year.
High demand from Europe
Cheniere’s Sabine Pass and Corpus Christi plants shipped record number of LNG cargoes in the first quarter this year due to a surge in demand from Europe.
The two terminals exported in total 160 LNG cargoes, compared to 133 cargoes in the first quarter of 2020.
About 75 percent of these cargoes landed in Europe due to high prices and as European countries look to slash reliance on Russian gas.