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Liquefied natural gasÌýprojectsÌýare expected to accelerate in the U.S. after the Senate's control passed toÌýthe Republicans who want toÌýexpedite gas exportÌýapplicationsÌýof American companies, say experts.Ìý
Although the 40-year-old ban on exporting crude oil and restrictions on selling LNG overseas remain unchanged in the U.S., the Republicans have voiced their concerns in the last few months in favor of their removal.
Lisa Murkowski, the republican senator of Alaska, has been one of theÌýstrongest advocates for reformingÌýU.S. energy policies, and she is anticipatedÌýto take overÌýthe U.S. Senate committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
After gaining control of the Senate in theÌýcongressional elections last week, the 'Grand Old Party' isÌýexpected to lead some energy reforms, beginning with expediting natural gas exports.
"I do expect fairly quick action on accelerating the LNG exports," saidÌýAndrew Holland, an energy expert at the Washington-based American Security Project.
"That would come sooner than lifting the oil export ban, and maybe even before the end of this year," he added.
The U.S. regulatory agenciesÌýhave to grantÌýapprovalÌýand permits for the American companies before they export natural gas to countries that the U.S. does not have a free trade agreement with.
The U.S. Department of Energy and theÌýFederal Energy Regulatory Commission are in charge of regulatingÌýLNG projects and exports.
"I expect that theÌýfederal regulatory commission will continue to approve LNG export licenses," said Ed Hirs,Ìýan energy economist at the University of Houston.
"It’s a very bureaucratic process that takes a significant amount of time," said Hirs, adding that the approval of licenses should be expedited for the U.S. to head start the LNG race in global markets.
"I don’t want the U.S. to be the last to build its LNG facilitiesÌýbecause Australia, China andÌýIndia might discover andÌýdevelop their own shale gas resources," Hirs said.
Australia, Qatar, Russia, IranÌýand Algeria are some of the largest exporters of LNG in the world, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
During the Obama administration, when the Democrats had control of the Senate, theÌýFederal Energy Regulatory Commission approved four LNG export projects in three years.
"The Obama administration has said that they are allowing permits to go through," said Holland.Ìý"They have just been quite slow about the process," he added.
The first export permit was given toÌýCheniere’s Sabine Pass project in Louisiana in 2012, which is expected to ship its first cargo at the end of 2015.
While Carib Energy’s facility in Florida andÌýSempra Energy’s Cameron LNG facility in Louisiana were approved in September,ÌýDominion Resources' Cove Point LNGÌýprojectÌýin the state ofÌýMarylandÌýgained the green light in October.
Only ConocoPhillips'ÌýKenai LNG plantÌýin Alaska targets Asia-Pacific markets, while it exportsÌýmostly to Japan.
By Ovunc Kutlu
Anadolu Agency
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