US LNG exports rose in the week ending March 2, while the Henry Hub spot price logged an increase as well when compared to the week before, according to the Energy Information Administration.
The agency said in its weekly natural gas report that the US has exported 24 LNG shipments between February 24 and March 2, up by six cargoes when compared to the week before.
Natural gas deliveries to LNG export facilities averaged 12.3 Bcf/d, or 0.4 Bcf/d higher than last week.
Seven large US terminals exported the 24 cargoes during the week under review, for the first time ever as Venture Global LNG shipped the first commissioning cargo from its Calcasieu Pass plant in Louisiana.
The total capacity of LNG vessels carrying these 24 cargoes is 92 Bcf.
Besides Calcasieu Pass, Cheniere’s Sabine Pass plant dispatched nine cargoes, while its Corpus Christi plant sent five shipments. The Cameron and Freeport terminals each sent three shipments, while Cove Point dispatched two cargoes. Elba Island also shipped one cargo.
Henry Hub spot climbs to $4.65/MMBtu
This report week, the Henry Hub spot price rose from $4.57/MMBtu last Wednesday to $4.65/MMBtu this Wednesday.
Feedgas to LNG export terminals in South Texas increased 0.8 Bcf/d or 22 percent and feedgas to LNG terminals in South Louisiana decreased by 0.4 Bcf/d or 6 percent, according to data from PointLogic.
Feedgas at Freeport LNG returned to an average of 1.4 Bcf/d at the end of the report week after falling to zero on February 23, according to Gulf South Pipeline Company, the operator of the pipeline that delivers feedgas to the terminal.
The terminal operated at lower utilization rates for several days last week because of a reported power-related outage.
Venture Global LNG announced on March 1 the successful loading and departure of the first LNG cargo produced at the Calcasieu Pass LNG terminal.
Weekly natural gas deliveries to the terminal averaged close to 400 MMcf/d this week, TransCameron, the operator of the pipeline delivering natural gas to Calcasieu Pass, said.
TTF surges
According to the agency, international natural gas prices rose this report week.
Bloomberg Finance reported that swap prices for LNG cargoes in East Asia for the balance of March rose $5.48 to a weekly average of $31.19/MMBtu from $25.71/MMBtu last week.
At the Dutch TTF, the day-ahead prices rose $15.34 to a weekly average of $41.06/MMBtu amid the Ukraine crisis and resulting uncertainty in European natural gas markets, EIA said.
In the same week last year (week ending March 3, 2021), prices in East Asia and at TTF were $5.93/MMBtu and $5.70/MMBtu, respectively, the agency said.