The tanker Energy Atlantic on Monday was stationed at a buoy offshore from Cheniere Energy Inc.‘s Sabine Pass terminal in Louisiana and was expected to arrive at the facility Tuesday to begin loading its first cargo — and the first cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to be exported from the Lower 48 (see Daily GPI, Dec. 23, 2015). Meanwhile, the first LNG cargo recently departed from the Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG) facility on Curtis Island in Queensland, Australia, ConocoPhillips said Monday. Construction of the APLNG facility began in 2011 and consists of two production units, each with the capacity to deliver 4.5 million tonnes per annum of LNG. Construction on the second production unit is nearing completion, with expected first LNG in the second half of 2016. The project is expected to be self-funding once the second unit comes online.

FERC plans to issue an environmental assessment (EA) for the Cameron LNG terminal expansion project on Feb. 12 with a 90-day decision deadline of May 12. The project would increase the terminal’s capability to liquefy and export natural gas by 515 Bcf per year. It would add an LNG storage tank and liquefaction trains four and five. No construction would occur outside of the existing terminal, and no new shipping is proposed as a result of the project, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said [CP15-560].