U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export frontrunner Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC, a Cheniere Energy Inc. affiliate, and associated companies are seeking FERC pre-filing review of an expansion of their LNG export terminal and associated pipeline on the Louisiana coast.

Last week the Sabine companies and Cheniere Creole Trail Pipeline LP (CCTPL) filed at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to initiate pre-filing review of an extension and expansion of the existing Creole Trail Pipeline and an expansion of the liquefaction project that would add trains 5 and 6, representing additional liquefaction capacity of about 1.3 Bcf/d.

The parties said they expect to file their formal application by October and want to begin construction of the liquefaction expansion by November 2014 and construction of the pipeline expansion by 2015.

“Sabine Pass anticipates a construction schedule of approximately 50 months for the completion and start-up of trains 5 and 6,” the companies told FERC. “CCTPL anticipates a construction schedule of approximately 12 months to construct and place in service the CCTPL expansion.”

The expansion project is to be on about 156 acres of the Sabine Pass LNG site in Cameron Parish, LA, on the eastern shore of the Sabine Pass Channel and east of the town of Sabine Pass, TX. Sabine Pass LNG holds the land through a long-term lease.

Sabine Pass is the first and only LNG export project to obtain U.S. Department of Energy authorization to export liquefied U.S. gas to countries that are not parties to free trade agreements (FTA) with the United States. While export to FTA countries is presumed to be in the public interest with authorization routinely granted, non-FTA authorization is another matter.

Domestic end-users, predominantly petrochemical and manufacturing interests, largely oppose LNG exports for fear they would drive up domestic gas prices. Gas producers and others with allied interests are pushing for exports. All are awaiting word from DOE on how it will act on multiple pending applications (see Daily GPI, Feb. 5).

Both DOE and FERC already have approved construction of two trains at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal. Meanwhile, a handful of other projects are seen leading the pack at FERC (see Daily GPI, Feb. 12).

©Copyright 2013Intelligence Press Inc. All rights reserved. The preceding news reportmay not be republished or redistributed, in whole or in part, in anyform, without prior written consent of Intelligence Press, Inc.