December 20, 2021 [Reuters] – U.S. energy regulators on Monday gave U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) company Venture Global LNG permission to start commissioning liquefaction systems at another block at the company’s Calcasieu Pass LNG export plant in Louisiana.

Specifically, the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved Venture Global’s request to commission the Block 2 liquefaction modules. FERC approved commissioning of the first block in early November.

The plant is expected to start producing LNG in test mode later this year before entering commercial service in early 2022.

Venture Global is installing 18 modular liquefaction trains configured in nine blocks at Calcasieu to produce about 10 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of LNG, equivalent to about 1.5 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas. Analysts estimate the plant cost about $4.5 billion.

In total, Venture Global has about 70 MTPA of LNG export capacity under construction or development in Louisiana, including the 10-MTPA Calcasieu Pass, 20-MTPA Plaquemines, 20-MTPA Delta and 20-MTPA CP2.

Venture Global has already started early site work on the $8.5 billion Plaquemines project, which analysts expect to start producing first LNG in 2024.

Venture Global has entered long-term agreements to sell LNG to units of several companies around the world, including China Petroleum and Chemical Corp (Sinopec), Royal Dutch Shell PLC, BP PLC, Edison SpA, Galp Energia SGPS SA, Repsol SA and Polish Oil and Gas Co (PGNiG).

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