There are presently four operational onshore LNG Terminals facilities in the United States (despite the fact that there were just two operational import LNG terminals during the 1990s, as two more onshore facilities were closed down while LNG importation seemed impractical.) Each of the four operational facilities was supplied from 20% to 30% of the total volumes received by the US in 2006 alone. There was one newly-built offshore facility that was operating in that same year which did not get much LNG (not even reaching one Bcf actually.)
The biggest share among the four onshore terminals was granted to the Everett, Massachusetts Distrigas facility which got 176 Bcf (equal to a 480-MMcf daily average.) The Distrigas facility, which can accommodate 725 MMcf daily, has been operational since 1971 and is a property of Suez North America.
Another of the four – the Chesapeake Bay plant called the Dominion Cove Point LNG facility in Maryland – was supplied 117 Bcf for year 2006 (equal to a daily average of 320 MMcf.) Though the Dominion Cove Point facility carries a one-Bcf daily capacity at the moment, it is in the process of boosting regasification daily capacity to the 1.8-Bcf level by the 2008 fall season.
The StatoilHydro, BP and Shell companies have capacity rights over this facility.
The two remaining onshore facilities are the Southern LNG facility of Elba Island in Georgia, and the Trunkline LNG of Lake Charles in Louisiana. Southern LNG got 147 in volume for 2006 while Trunkline LNG received 144 Bcf for the same year. The capacity rights over these two facilities are owned at present by BG Group of the UK. Though both plants recently expanded operations, they will still be expanding some more soon.
The degasification capacity of Southern LNG will be boosted by owner El Paso Corporation from the present daily capacity of 1.2 Bcf to a new daily capacity of 2.1 Bcf by year 2010. El Paso Corporation will then construct an additional pipeline so the growing supplies can be streamed into new markets. Trunkline LNG is owned by Southern Union Company and can degasify an estimated 1.8 Bcf daily, but will eventually try to boost daily send out capacity to 2.1 Bcf (an increase of 33 MMcf daily by year 2009.)
There are only a handful of companies which actually do import LNG in the recent past, though many companies want to take part in the re-introduction of international LNG trade with the US.
BG Group relied on its subsidiary named BG LNG Services to import the most LNG in 2006, which made up around 50% of total LNG imports. The total throughput of 176 Bcf of Suez North America originated from Trinidad and Tobago and was sent via the Distrigas terminal.
The three major importers next on the list contributed less than this Suez volume via their
combined capacity. BP, Statoil and Shell supplied imports only to the Cove Point LNG facility.
There was also one cargo originating from Trinidad and Tobago sent by Excelerate Energy to make up not even one Bcf of total imports via the Gulf Gateway facility of offshore Gulf of Mexico.
Energy Information Administration-Energy Information Administration-3/4/2008
