The Netherlands was the top destination for US liquefied natural gas supplies for the fifth month in a row in September, according to the Department of Energy’s newest LNG monthly report.
The report shows that US terminals shipped 39.7 Bcf of LNG to the Netherlands in September, 33.2 Bcf to Japan, 28.7 Bcf to France, 24.1 Bcf to South Korea, and 22.1 Bcf to Italy.
These five countries took 42.2 percent of total US LNG exports in September.
US terminals shipped 57.4 Bcf of LNG to the Netherlands in August, 34.9 Bcf to South Korea, 34.3 Bcf to France, 24.2 Bcf to Japan, and 21.5 Bcf to Italy.
The Netherlands received 53.3 Bcf of US LNG in July.
In June and May, US terminals shipped 45.9 Bcf of LNG and 64.5 Bcf of LNG to the Netherlands, respectively, while the UK was the top destination for US LNG supplies for six months in a row prior to that.
The Netherlands has expanded its capacity with the launching of Gasunie’s Eemshaven FSRU-based LNG terminal that mostly receives cargoes from the US.
The country’s first FSRU-based terminal adds to the Gate LNG import facility in Rotterdam, also operated by Gasunie and Vopak and currently being expanded with the fourth tank and additional regas capacity.
These two terminals deliver regasified LNG to the Dutch grid for customers in the Netherlands as well as to customers in Germany, Czech Republic, and other European countries.
US LNG exports rise 18.6 percent
The US exported in total 350.1 Bcf of LNG in September, up by 18.6 percent compared to the same month last year and a drop of 0.8 percent from the prior month, the DOE report shows.
US terminals shipped 107 LNG cargoes in September, compared to 98 cargoes in September 2022 and 114 cargoes in August this year, according to the report.
Cheniere’s Sabine Pass plant sent 33 cargoes and its Corpus Christi terminal shipped 17 cargoes, while Sempra’s Cameron LNG plant sent 28 shipments during September.
In addition, Freeport LNG sent 18 cargoes, Elba Island LNG sent 6 cargoes, and Cove Point LNG dispatched 5 shipments.
5262 cargoes
According to DOE’s report, the weighted average price by export terminal reached 6.32/MMBtu in September and 8.58/MMBtu in the October 2022 – September 2023 period.
Moreover, the report said that in the period from February 2016 through September 2023, the US exported 5262 cargoes or 16,753.1 Bcf to 45 countries.
The DOE data shows that South Korea remains the top destination for US LNG with 553 cargoes, followed by Japan with 430 cargoes, the UK with 398 cargoes, France with 401 cargoes, and Spain with 398 cargoes.
The UK received three cargoes less than France but more volumes.
Besides these five countries, the Netherlands, China, India, Turkey, and Brazil are in the top ten as well.