CMS Energy Corp. said two new liquefied natural gas (LNG)shipments will be received at its CMS Trunkline LNG complex at LakeCharles, LA, in September. The shipments are being delivered by CMSMarketing, Services and Trading, and by Duke Energy Corp.

The Lake Charles complex has received 13 tanker shipments in1999 and has firm commitments for nine more, including three thismonth. CMS Trunkline expects a total of up to 25 LNG shipments byyear-end. Each tanker contains about 2.7 Bcf.

Business at the facility has increased over previous years. TheLake Charles complex handled 12 shipments in 1997 and 17 in 1998.During a 30-day period over July and August, the Lake Charlescomplex will handle six shipments, including the first spot cargofrom Malaysia into the United States. In September, CMS Trunkline’sLNG complex will handle four shipments, including cargoes fromAlgeria and Qatar.

“The global supply of LNG is high and we’re aggressively seekingout deals that will allow us to boost the utilization of the LakeCharles facility through the rest of this year and beyond,” saidChristopher A. Helms, president of the CMS Panhandle Pipe Linecompanies, including the LNG facility. The growing demand fornatural gas in the United States, coupled with the completion ofseveral new LNG export facilities in the next 18 months, makes thisa very promising market for the next two to four years and beyond.”

The Lake Charles complex offers flexibility to suppliers andbuyers with a delivery capacity of up to 700 MMcf/d. The facilitycan store the equivalent of 2.3 tanker LNG deliveries, or about 6.3Bcf. With its connection to CMS Trunkline Gas’ interstate pipeline,the Lake Charles facility has access to 15 gas pipelines and theHenry Hub.

In April, CMS Marketing, Services and Trading agreed to buy 9.3 Bcfof LNG in several shipments from the North West Shelf LNG project inAustralia for delivery to the CMS Trunkline LNG facility (See DailyGPI April 28, 1999). The deal was thesecond major transaction CMS has made to take advantage of itspurchase of Eastern Panhandle Pipeline and Trunkline Gas Co. from DukeEnergy last year.

The shipments from North West Shelf’s liquefaction facilitieslocated at Withnell Bay in the port of Dampier, Australia, weescheduled to load in May, July, September and November, and arriveat the Lake Charles LNG facility about 30 days later.

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