Sempra LNG terminal at Ensenada nears completion

March 24, 2008
Sempra Energy said its planned LNG import terminal near Ensenada on Mexico's Pacific coast should be up and running during the second quarter.

Eric Watkins
Senior Correspondent

LOS ANGELES, Mar. 24 -- Sempra Energy said its planned LNG import terminal near Ensenada on Mexico's Pacific coast should be up and running during the second quarter.

The $945 million Energia Costa Azul import and regasification plant will have a processing capacity of 1 bcfd of natural gas, to be expanded later to about 2.5 bcfd.

When it begins operations, Energia Costa Azul will become the first LNG receipt terminal on North America's West Coast capable of supplying gas markets in the southwestern US and Mexico.

Earlier this month, Energia Costa Azul awarded Fluor Corp. subsidiary ICA Fluor a $100 million contract to construct a nitrogen injection plant and a power generation facility within the Energia Costa Azul LNG regasification terminal. The engineering, procurement, construction, and start-up of the nitrogen injection plant will be performed by ICA Fluor within an estimated 22-month schedule.

ICA Fluor said the completed plant will produce as much as 18 million scfd of nitrogen. The facility will allow greater flexibility and a wider range of gas imports to the Energia Costa Azul terminal, ICA Fluor said.

The contract also includes the construction of a 26-Mw power generation facility to complement the existing capacity at the plant.

Contact Eric Watkins at [email protected].