Cheniere expects delay for first Sabine Pass LNG cargo

Cheniere Energy Partners LP reported that it expects to export the first LNG commissioning cargo from its Sabine Pass liquefaction project in Cameron Parish, La., in late February or March. The first commissioning cargo was initially expected to occur by late January (OGJ, Aug. 3, 2015, p. 62).

Construction for Train 1 was completed well ahead of the guaranteed contractual schedule and within budget, Cheniere said. “However, instrumentation issues were discovered during the final phases of plant commissioning and cool down that will require some additional work over the next few weeks,” it added.

Neal Shear, who was appointed interim president and chief executive officer at the end of last year (OGJ Online, Dec. 14, 2015), said, “With construction of Train 1 finished, we remain well ahead of the guaranteed contractual schedule with Bechtel and anticipate no issues in meeting all contractual targets and guaranteed completion dates.”

Shear added that construction for Trains 2-5 continues to be on an accelerated schedule and these trains are expected to come on line on a staggered basis. “Bechtel will hand over care, custody and control of each train as they complete its scope of work,” he said.

Cheniere Partners owns 100% of the Sabine Pass LNG terminal on the Sabine-Neches Waterway less than 4 miles from the Gulf Coast. The Sabine Pass LNG terminal includes existing infrastructure of five LNG storage tanks with capacity of 16.9 bcf of gas equivalent, two docks that can accommodate vessels with nominal capacity of as much as 266,000 cu m, and vaporizers with regasification capacity of 4 bcfd.