LNG carrier Clean Ocean (Image courtesy of Dynagas)
The Netherlands and Poland are both expected to receive a cargo within the next 24 hours from Cheniere’s Sabine Pass LNG export terminal in Louisiana, the first ever US LNG cargoes produced from shale gas to reach the two countries.
According to shipping data, the 140,000-cbm Arctic Discoverer has anchored offshore the port of Rotterdam where the Dutch Gate terminal is located, while the 162,000-cbm Clean Ocean is located offshore Swinoujscie where Poland’s first LNG import terminal is situated.
The LNG tankers left the Sabine Pass liquefaction facility on May 21 and May 22, respectively, the data shows.
The LNG shipment to the Gate terminal is Northwest Europe’s first ever cargo of US LNG. Gate terminal did not provide any additional info on the LNG shipment.
In its efforts to diversify the supply sources of natural gas, Poland secured the spot cargo delivery of U.S. LNG in May this year. The agreement was signed during the Polish secretary of state and chief of the cabinet of the president, Krzysztof Szczerski‘s visit to Washington.
So far, US LNG cargoes landed only in the southern part of Europe. Italy, Malta, Spain, Portugal and Turkey received Sabine Pass cargoes since February last year when the plant started shipping the fuel.
Currently, there are only three liquefaction trains in operation at the Sabine Pass facility and in the lower 48 states.
A growing number of US LNG shipments are seen heading to Europe in the future as more liquefaction projects located along the US Gulf Coast come online.
The U.S. is expected to become the world’s third-largest LNG supplier by 2020 behind Qatar and Australia.
LNG World News Staff
Source: LNG World News