US LNG exporters Cheniere and Sempra are planning to restart production at their Louisiana liquefaction plants following shutdowns due to the Hurricane Laura.
Laura made landfall early Thursday near the Texas-Louisiana border as a strong Category 4 storm, one of the most powerful storms to ever hit the region.
It has severely affected the U.S. oil and gas industry on the Gulf Coast, forcing several LNG plants to shut down.
Cheniere’s Sabine Pass plant and Sempra’s Cameron facility were located in the direct path of the hurricane with both facilities suspending operations and implementing a controlled shutdown.
“Minimal flooding” at Cameron LNG
Sempra’s Cameron LNG facility in Louisiana has a capacity of 12 mtpa. The firm recently achieved full commercial operations of the three-train facility, prior to Laura.
“Sempra LNG is pleased to report that all of our employees in the Gulf Coast are accounted for and safe, and the employees of Cameron LNG are confirmed safe as well,” the firm said on Monday.
Sempra said its teams conducted preliminary, visual inspections of Cameron LNG, the site of its proposed Port Arthur LNG project, and other infrastructure in the region.
“The initial evaluation indicates minimal flooding and no catastrophic wind damage,” it said.
The US firm plans “thorough inspections” pending confirmation of sufficient site safety and security.
“The team at Cameron LNG is committed to the restoration of full operations as soon as safely practicable,” it said.
“No significant damage” at Sabine Pass
Cheniere’s 25 mpta facility Sabine Pass liquefaction plant in Louisiana has five operational trains and is currently the largest such facility in the US.
Cheniere is also adding an additional unit and the third jetty boosting the total capacity to 580 LNG cargoes per year.
The LNG producer said on Monday that a facility and operational assessment of Sabine Pass and pipeline assets revealed no significant damage as a result of Hurricane Laura.
Cheniere conducted initial assessments of impact from Hurricane Laura at the Sabine Pass facility by air, boat, and by technical and third-party experts.
Prior to the storm, Cheniere activated its emergency office location in Dallas to support essential functions.
“Most importantly, all of our employees are safe and accounted for. After the storm, we carefully assessed our facility and discovered no significant damage, and we have begun executing startup plans to safely resume operations,” said Jack Fusco, President and CEO of Cheniere.
Furthermore, Bechtel, Cheniere’s EPC contractor, is returning today to Sabine Pass to resume work constructing the sixth train and the third jetty.