While overall natural gas imports into the United States dropped slightly in the first half of the year, imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) more than doubled during the period, according to figures released by the Department of Energy (DOE) last Thursday.

Total gas imports — mostly from Canada — fell 4.4% to 1.88 Tcf during the first six months of 2003 from 1.96 Tcf a year ago, but year-to-date LNG imports jumped 108% to 201.5 Bcf from 97 Bcf in the first half of 2002, reported the DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy.

Much of the rise in LNG imports was realized in the second quarter of this year. An estimated 126 Bcf of LNG was imported into the U.S. during that period, up 78% from the second quarter in 2002, the DOE office said. But overall gas imports for the quarter fell 6.5% to 902 Bcf.

Four companies — BG LNG Services LLC, BP Energy Co., Distrigas Corp. and TotalFinaElf Gas & Power — brought in the entire second-quarter LNG load in 51 tanker cargoes from Algeria, Nigeria and Trinidad, it noted. This contrasted to 31 cargoes totaling 71 Bcf for the same period in 2002, and 39 cargoes totaling 75 Bcf during the first quarter of this year, the DOE office said.

Total natural gas imported into the U.S. under long-term contracts fell to 176 Bcf in the second quarter from 199 Bcf for the same period a year ago. However, long-term LNG imports rose 8% to 16.4 Bcf during the second quarter compared to 14.5 Bcf in the comparable period in 2002, according to DOE. Distrigas imported the entire 16.4 Bcf load from Trinidad at an average price of $4.38/MMBtu.

Ninety companies used short-term authorizations during the second quarter to import 726.6 Bcf of gas, a 5% drop from the 766 Bcf imported during the same period in 2002, the department said. The bulk of the gas imports — 617 Bcf — came from Canada at an average price of $5.12/MMBtu, compared to 710 Bcf at $3.06/MMBtu in the 2002 second quarter.

At the same time, the DOE reported short-term LNG imports into the U.S. rose to 110 Bcf from 57 Bcf for the second quarter a year ago and 57.4 Bcf in the first quarter of this year. The LNG was imported by BG LNG, BP Energy, Distrigas and TotalFinaElf from Algeria, Trinidad and Nigeria at prices ranging from $4.43 to $5.07, it said.

In addition, 14 companies exported 55.4 Bcf of gas to Canada at an average price of $5.62/MMBtu during the second quarter; nine companies exported 79 Bcf to Mexico at $5.62; and 12.9 Bcf of LNG was exported to Japan at $4.52 (delivered), the DOE noted.

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