FERC has granted a request from Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline LLC (KMLP) to place into service the Sabine Pass Liquefaction Lateral and Sabine Pass Liquefaction Tap in Cameron Parish, LA.

The partial authorization, which was issued Friday, opens the door for KMLP’s plans to offer 600,000 Dth/d of firm service on a north-to-south path of its system [CP17-22].

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved last November KMLP’s plans to abandon and remove facilities at an existing meter station and replace them with a larger meter station at the same site. The facilities would specifically serve the Sabine Pass Expansion Project.

The project would also require constructing a tap and lateral to connect to the Sabine Pass terminal; modifying three existing delivery interconnects; constructing additional compression at a previously certificated compressor station; constructing header pipelines to connect the compressor station to three existing pipeline interconnects that KMLP proposes to modify; as well as abandoning the old meter station and its replacement.

KMLP originally asked FERC to issue an order by the end of February 2018 approving the Sabine Pass Expansion Project to place the project in service by April 1, 2019. However, work on train 5 at Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC’s (SPL) export terminal progressed more quickly than anticipated, prompting KMLP’s request to FERC. SPL has an agreement for KMLP to supply gas for train 5 beginning in 2019.

Last week, Cheniere Energy Inc. asked FERC for authorization to introduce feed gas and refrigerants to continue its commissioning activities for Train 5 at the Sabine Pass LNG export terminal.

The KMLP order was issued the same day that FERC issued environmental schedules for a dozen pending LNG export terminal projects, and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to coordinate the siting and safety review of LNG facilities.