American Petroleum Institute (API) President Red Cavaney said Wednesday at a two-day LNG Ministerial Summit in Washington, DC, that gas and oil industry associations will launch a new LNG coalition, The Center for Liquefied Natural Gas, in January. The coalition will provide public education regarding LNG and advocacy functions.

A number of organizations met last Wednesday to discuss the formation of the LNG organization (see Daily GPI, Dec. 15). “The Center for Liquefied Natural Gas will serve as a one-stop information source, distribute technical research and best practices, and be an advocate, as appropriate, for a broad array of interests involved in LNG issues,” the coalition said.

API spokesman Ray Connolly said that in addition to API, the Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA), the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) and the American Gas Association (AGA) probably will be the coalition’s lead members.

He added that while there has been no announcement of the coalition’s formation, he said “the coalition has been created and is functioning. It is underway.”

“The purpose of [the coalition] is really to serve as a central organization to provide information about LNG, its potential, the role it can play in terms of U.S. energy needs and how more LNG reliance can be brought about,” Connolly said. “It’s not a trade association, it’s more like a coalition of groups concerned with LNG issues. It will be promoting a more efficient regulatory process affecting LNG.”

Spokeswoman Peggy Laramie said AGA has not made a final decision to become a formal member of the coalition. “AGA has been involved in talking about and creating the shape of an organization that will be a center for liquefied natural gas information, but the decision to formally become a part of the center will be something that will have to be decided by the AGA’s board of directors. In terms of the formal participation, we will let our board determine whether its in the best interest of AGA.”

Laramie said “there has been a lot of good dialogue about it. It is clearly an increasingly important part of natural gas supply in the U.S. and that is one of our major areas of focus for consumers: to make sure that supplies of natural gas are adequate to meet growing needs.”

NGSA spokesman Mark Stultz said “the target is to try to unveil something as soon as possible after the new year, assuming we can all come together on messages and that kind of thing.”

The Center for Liquefied Natural Gas’ website, which is currently under construction, is www.lngfacts.org.

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