The United States Cheniere Energy Inc announced on August 31st 2012 that its wholly owned subsidiary Corpus Christi Liquefaction LLC has filed an application with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for authorization to produce and export liquefied natural gas at facilities in Corpus Christi in Texas.

The company plans to produce up to 15 million tonnes per years of LNG or 782 million MMBTU per year, at three liquefaction trains from around fourth quarter of 2017.

Cheniere Energy received approval from FERC to begin pre filing process for the project in December 2011. After a pre filing process with FERC, the subsequent permitting process has recently started and is expected to be completed within 18 months. By the time the permission is given, Cheniere will have finished raising funds and commence construction in the first quarter of 2014. It has already informally decided to place order with the US Bechtel Corporation for engineering and design work. It is also anticipated that Bechtel Corp will be entrusted with Engineering, Procurement and Construction work.

At the LNG production and export terminal, that will be built in Corpus Christi Bay on the Texas coast in San Patricio and Nueces counties, three non elevated above ground storage tanks, with respective capacity of 160,000 cubic meters and two berths, that can accommodate 70,000 to 267,000 cubic meter LNG carriers, will be constructed, besides up to three liquefaction trains.

Cheniere Energy originally planned to build a LNG import terminal in Corpus Christi. However, tanking into consideration the changing North American gas market, in December 2011 it had decided to alter its plan to bi directional project available both for exports and imports of LNG by adding facilities for production and exports to the original ones.

Source - TEX Report Limited

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