FERC Tuesday granted a request of Sempra Energy’s Cameron LNG LLC for a seven-month delay to complete and place into service its liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal that is under construction near Hackberry, LA.

The $850 million import facility was supposed to be finished next month. But Cameron LNG, citing construction delays, requested that the in-service deadline be pushed back to Dec. 31 of this year. Construction of the LNG terminal, which began in August 2005, is more than 93% completed, according to Cameron LNG.

The LNG project, which is located on the Calcasieu Ship Channel about 18 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, will have the capacity to regasify up to 1.5 Bcf /d of natural gas, with the potential to be expanded to 2.65 Bcf/d. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a certificate for the terminal project in September 2003, and then approved a proposal to expand the proposed facility to 2.65 Bcf/d in early 2007 (see Daily GPI, Jan. 19, 2007; Sept. 11, 2003).

In August 2005 Sempra signed a 20-year capacity agreement with ENI S.p.A for 40% of the capacity of the Cameron LNG terminal (approximately 600 MMcf/d), according to the company (see Daily GPI, Aug. 2, 2005).

The project also will include a 36-mile pipeline by Sempra Pipelines & Storage to transport natural gas from the terminal facility to connect with existing interstate pipelines to the north.

©Copyright 2009Intelligence 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.