The US Port of Corpus Christi in Texas ended 2021 with record tonnage, boosted by a rise of 81.2 percent in LNG shipments.
According to a statement released last week, the port set a new annual tonnage record of 167.3 million tons, a 4 percent rise over 2020 which also marked a record.
LNG exports fueled much of the growth, reaching 15.7 million tons as the global energy markets continue to recover from the demand destruction brought by the Covid-19 pandemic last year, the port said.
LNG shipments increased as Cheniere ramped up production at its Corpus Christi liquefaction plant.
The Corpus Christi terminal currently consists of three operational trains with each having a capacity of about 5 million tonnes per annum.
Cheniere completed the first train in February 2019 followed by the second in August the same year, while Bechtel handed over operational control of the third train in March 2021.
Besides LNG shipments, the nation’s top oil exporting hub said crude oil exports averaged a record 1.76 million barrels per day in 2021, an increase of about 100,000 barrels per day over its 2020 record performance.
The Corpus Christi port hit an all-time high for crude oil exports in December, exceeding 60 million barrels in a month for the first time in its 100-year history.
Also, the port saw increases in break bulk cargo such as wind energy components, natural gas liquids, as well as refined products such as diesel and motor gasoline.