U.S. Department of Energy Approves Gulf LNG Project
On July 31, 2019 the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued an order authorizing Gulf LNG Liquefaction Company, LLC to export domestically produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Gulf LNG Project located in Jackson County, Mississippi, near the city of Pascagoula. The Gulf LNG Project is owned by Kinder Morgan’s Southern Gulf LNG Company, LLC. The proposed terminal would export up to 1.53 Bcf/d and be built at the same site as the existing Gulf LNG Terminal.
Initially in 2009, the 230 acre Gulf LNG site was developed as a liquefied natural gas import terminal. However, natural gas production has been ever increasing from shale plays within the United States. In July of 2015 Kinder Morgan responded to the surplus and began the federal application process to redevelop a portion of its plant into an export terminal.
Energy Secretary Rick Perry said, “This announcement advances the Trump administration’s commitment to energy security here at home and for our friends abroad. Increased amounts of U.S. LNG on the world market benefit the American economy, American workers, and consumers and help make the air cleaner around the globe.”
According to the DOE, there are currently five existing LNG export terminals in North America. If the Gulf LNG export terminal is built it will be the sixth.