A day after filing an application with FERC to develop the Pine Prairie Energy Center storage project in Evangeline Parish, LA. Sempra Energy announced the purchase of another proposed storage project in the region, Liberty Gas Storage in Calcasieu Parish, LA, from HNG Storage for an undisclosed sum.

Located near Sempra’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) receipt terminals under development in Hackberry, LA, and Port Arthur, TX, Liberty would be integrated with the new pipelines required to deliver LNG to the U.S. markets, Sempra said.

Development of Liberty will entail removing brine from two existing salt caverns with a capacity of 17 Bcf of working gas. Liberty also will install surface facilities to allow for maximum injection of 500 MMcf/d and maximum withdrawals of 1 Bcf/d.

Due to their high deliverability operating characteristics, salt-cavern storage facilities have become key components in supporting the commercial functions of power generators, pipelines, utilities, energy merchants and LNG receipt terminal operators throughout the United States, Sempra said.

“Both of these projects [Liberty and Pine Prairie] provide a good opportunity to bring gas storage to the Gulf Coast market while capitalizing on significant demand from LNG and pipeline projects there,” said Sempra Energy COO Donald E. Felsinger. “Liberty Gas Storage and the Pine Prairie Energy Center are in prime locations to support the areas of eastern Texas and southern Louisiana, where significant LNG development is underway.”

On Monday , Sempra filed with FERC seeking authorization to develop the 24 Bcf Pine Prairie project, which will have three salt caverns, enabling maximum injections of 1.2 Bcf/d and maximum withdrawals of 2.4 Bcf/d (see Daily GPI, July 20). In May, Sempra also completed development of another gas storage facility, the 27 Bcf Bluewater Gas Storage project in St. Clair, MI.

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