Cheniere gets FERC approval for Sabine Pass LNG export facility

Written by Nick Blenkey

sabine terminalCheniere Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE Amex: CQP) reports that its subsidiaries, Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC and Sabine Pass LNG, L.P. have received authorization from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) to site, construct and operate up to four modular LNG trains for the liquefaction and export of domestically produced natural gas at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal in Cameron Parish, Louisiana.

“Obtaining approval from the FERC is one more milestone for our liquefaction project,” said Charif Souki, Chairman and CEO. “We will now finalize the financing arrangements in order to commence construction of the first two LNG trains of our liquefaction project promptly.”

The Cheniere Energy Sabine Pass subsidiaries initiated FERC’s National Environmental Policy Act pre-filing process for the project in July 2010, and submitted an application to the FERC for authorization to site, construct and operate the project in January 2011.

Cheniere Partners owns 100 percent of the Sabine Pass LNG receiving terminal located on the Sabine Pass Channel in western Cameron Parish, Louisiana. The Sabine Pass terminal has regasification and send-out capacity of 4.0 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) and storage capacity of 16.9 billion cubic feet equivalent (Bcfe).

Cheniere Partners is developing a project to add liquefaction and export capabilities to the existing infrastructure at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal. As currently contemplated, the liquefaction project is being designed and permitted for up to four modular LNG trains, each with a nominal capacity of approximately 4.5 mtpa. The project is expected to be constructed with each LNG train commencing operations approximately six to nine months after the previous train.

In November 2011, Sabine Liquefaction entered into a lump sum turnkey contract for the engineering, procurement and construction of the first two trains of the project with Bechtel Oil, Gas and Chemicals, Inc. Sabine Liquefaction has also entered into four long-term customer sale and purchase agreements (“SPAs”) for 16.0 mtpa of LNG volumes, which represents approximately 89 percent of the nominal LNG volumes. The customers include BG Gulf Coast LNG, LLC (“BG”) for 5.5 mtpa, Gas Natural Fenosa for 3.5 mtpa, KOGAS for 3.5 mtpa and GAIL (India) Ltd. for 3.5 mtpa.

The BG SPA commences with the start of train one operations and the Gas Natural Fenosa SPA commences with the start of train two operations.

April 17, 2012

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