Cheniere Energy, Klaipedos Nafta sign MOU for LNG supply

Warren R. True
Chief Technology Editor-LNG/Gas Processing

HOUSTON, May 17 -- Cheniere Energy Inc., Houston, further developing its plans to export LNG from its Sabine Pass, La., import terminal, announced last week it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Klaipedos Nafta, Vilnius, to “address Klaipedos Nafta's future natural gas needs” and assess LNG purchase and supply options.

Klaipedos Nafta is building the first LNG import terminal on the eastern Baltic coast for use in Lithuania and potentially for export to Baltic neighbors. Lithuania intends to become one of the first European countries to implement the European Union's Third Package of energy market reforms, according to the announcement. Those are to create a free and open energy market similar to the US.

Cheniere has signed several agreements since June 2010 in an effort to underpin plans to install four liquefaction trains totaling 14 million tonnes/year of capacity. At the time, Cheniere Energy said it hoped to move as much as 1 bcfd by 2015, possibly expanding later to 2 bcfd.

Cheniere has signed other agreements with ENN Energy Trading, EDF Trading, Morgan Stanley Capital Group, and Sumitomo Corp. (OGJ, Mar. 7, 2011, p. 100).

Contact Warren R. True at [email protected].