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Gas exporter Cheniere's terminal project has accomplishedÌýa major step forward.ÌýÌý
The U.S.ÌýFederal Energy Regulatory Commission announced on Wednesday that it had clearedÌýCheniere Energy's Liquified Natural Gas export terminal project inÌýCorpus Christi, Texas for construction. The CommissionÌýfinalized theÌýenvironmental impact statementÌýfor the project, saying that it found no insurmountable environmental objections to its construction.Ìý
ÌýCheniere must stillÌýobtain otherÌýnecessary federal authorizations prior to commencement of construction, the CommissionÌýsaid in a statement on its website. But a permit from the Commission for construction is expected within two months.Ìý
The project would enable Cheniere to export 2.1 billion standard cubic feet (63 million cubic meters)Ìýper day of liquefied natural gas,Ìýand import sufficient liquified natural gasÌývolume to send out 400 million standard cubic feet (12 million cubic meters)Ìýper day of natural gas,Ìýthe U.S. energy regulator said.
At Corpus Christi, Cheniere plans toÌýconstruct the terminal on a 991-acre site along the northern shore of Corpus Christi Bay at the north end of the La Quinta Channel in San Patricio and Nueces counties. It would include three liquefaction trains, each capable of liquefying about 700,000 cubic feet per day.ÌýÌý
This is CheniereÌýEnergy's second project to export liquified natural gas,Ìýafter itsÌýSabine Pass project in Louisiana gained permit approvals fromÌýthe U.S. Department of EnergyÌýin 2012.Ìý
Cheniere has already signed up companies like Korea Gas, BG Group, Total and Centrica to long-term “take-or-payâ€� contracts that are expected toÌýgenerate about US$3 billion a year in fee revenue for Cheniere for the next 20 years from gas export operations at the two terminals.ÌýWith only six export terminals for Liquified Natural Gas operating in the U.S., and fewer than 30 in the world,Ìýthe project by gas exporter Cheniere is seen as promising by industry analysts.
By Ovunc Kutlu
Anadolu Agency
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