FERC issues draft EIS on Freeport LNG’s Phase II projects

March 14, 2014
The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has issued a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) on Freeport LNG’s Phase II modification and liquefaction projects.

The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has issued a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) on Freeport LNG’s Phase II modification and liquefaction projects.

FERC concluded that “construction and operation of the projects would result in adverse impacts on certain resources and nearby communities.”

FERC said, “We have identified that there would be significant and unavoidable impacts on residents of the town of Quintana due to construction noise and construction traffic if the projects are approved by the commission.”

The commission added, “However, other adverse impacts would be reduced to less-than-significant levels with the implementation of Freeport LNG’s mitigation measures and the additional measures we recommend in the EIS.”

The projects proposed by Freeport LNG are in Brazoria County near Freeport, Tex. The proposed Phase II modification project includes modification to the previously authorized LNG vessel berthing dock, LNG transfer pipelines, LNG unloading arms, and the access road system at Freeport LNG’s existing Quintana Island terminal. Freeport LNG would not build components of the previously authorized facility, including vaporization equipment that was approved to increase the LNG Terminal’s sendout capacity.

The firm’s proposed liquefaction project consists of the liquefaction plant at and adjacent to the existing Quintana Island LNG terminal and would provide Freeport LNG the capacity to export about 13.2 million tonnes/year of LNG. Freeport would install three liquefaction trains and supporting equipment capable of liquefying 1.8 bcfd of gas.

In support of the liquefaction plant, Freeport LNG proposes to construct a natural gas pretreatment plant about 2½ miles north of the existing Quintana Island terminal. In addition, several interconnecting pipelines and utility lines would extend from the Quintana Island terminal to the pretreatment plant.