Cheniere Texas Corpus 3 LNG export train moves closer to operation

US energy regulators on Thursday approved Cheniere Energy Inc's request to introduce feed gas to part of the third liquefaction train at the company's Corpus Christi liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plant in Texas.

Specifically, the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said Cheniere could "introduce feed gas to Train 3 and commence commissioning of the dry flare."

Those are steps in the process of preparing the train to enter service.

Cheniere has said it expects Train 3 will be substantially complete in the first half of 2021.

There are already two trains operating at Corpus.

Each train has the capacity to produce about 5.0 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of LNG, which is equivalent to around 0.66 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) of natural gas.

As units under construction like Corpus 3 enter service, US LNG export capacity is expected to rise to 10.5 bcfd in 2021 and 12.5 bcfd in 2022 from 9.8 bcfd now.

By the mid-2020s, analysts expect the United States will become the biggest LNG exporter in the world, ahead of current global leaders Qatar and Australia.