Are We LNG Oversold?
After what will be nearly five months offline, Houston-based Freeport LNG is planning a partial restart next month at its 2.3 BCFD Texas export facility. That’s great because a tanker is already waiting on a fill up in the Gulf. The plant’s shutdown in June tossed the production ball to Cheniere to help offset the reduction in U.S. LNG exports just as the nation scrambled to get more gas to Europe and other global markets. Now into fall with winter months looming, conditions since June have dramatically changed, not to mention gas prices over the last eight weeks. Reese Energy Consulting today is following the latest news from the LNG world where a ghost in the machine may be wreaking a new havoc. According to S&P Global, Europe is “awash in LNG cargoes,” with some floating in hopes of higher netbacks amid depressed prices, while waiting on a parking spot to re-gasify. 70% of our LNG exports now go to Europe. Feedgas deliveries to LNG terminals jumped from 10.74 BCFD last week to 11.21 BCFD this week with Cheniere’s Sabine Pass breaking a record of 5.18 BCFD on Tuesday. Which brings us to storage, where Houston-based Gulf Coast Midstream has launched an open season on its Freeport energy storage hub under development.