San Diego-based Sempra Energy’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) unit on Friday submitted to FERC an applicant’s draft environmental assessment (EA) as part of the pre-filing process to add two LNG production trains at its Cameron, LA, export facility now under construction.

With federal export and construction approvals already in hand for the first portion of the Cameron LNG facilities transition to an export location (see Daily GPI, June 19, 2014), Sempra LNG told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that it has prepared its own EA focused only on the proposed expansion to meet federal environmental policy requirements.

As part of the EA’s recommendations, Sempra LNG contends that FERC can approve the proposed addition of trains 4 and 5 knowing the work will meet all environmental requirements by approving the recommended mitigation steps from the company. The expansion would be built following the construction and mitigation plans, along with meeting supplemental steps offered by FERC staff.

Under the expansion proposed, Cameron LNG would add 9.97 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of production capacity, or the equivalent of 1.41 Bcf/d. If the expansion is approved, Cameron LNG’s overall export capacity would be 24.92 mtpa, or 3.53 Bcf/d.

“No additional marine facilities would be required for the expansion,” Sempra LNG said in its draft EA. “The number and size of ships using the LNG terminal would not increase from the number of ships previously authorized by the U.S. Coast Guard water suitability assessment for the LNG terminal.”