Project Profile
Value: US$10 billion
Location: 25 km away from the Gulf of Mexico coast, on the bank of the Calcasieu Channel, Louisiana state, USA
Regasification capacity: 1.5 billion cubic feet per day
Production Capacity:1.29 tcf per year of domestically-produced natural gas or 24.92 mtpa of LNG
LNG Train capacity: 13.5 mtpa with an export capacity of 24.92 million, or 3.53 bcfd
Start-up Year: 2019 (full year of operations)
Sempra Energy (Sempra) and its partners, GDF-Suez, Mitsubishi Corporation (Mitsubishi) and Mitsui & Co, Ltd (Mitsui), are reaching the final stage of the complex process approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for its Cameron LNG project at Hackberry in Louisiana, USA. Sempra built the Cameron LNG terminal to import natural gas before the development of the shale gas in USA. Located in Hackberry, 25 kilometres away from the Gulf of Mexico coast, on the bank of the Calcasieu Channel in Louisiana, the Cameron LNG terminal started import operations in 2008. With US$900 million capital expenditure this import terminal has a regasification capacity of 1.5 billion cubic feet per day (cf/d).
As most of the owners of LNG import terminals in USA, Sempra decided to convert Cameron LNG into an export terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG). In April 2012, Sempra applied for the pre-filling process of the FERC and went through. In December 2012, Sempra submitted its application for the FERC itself. In April 2014, Sempra received from the FERC the “Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review” to release it “Final Environmental Impact Statement” in November 2013. With this notification, Sempra is reaching the final stage of the FERC approval, and thus positioning its Cameron LNG project as the first in-line export LNG project to receive the FERC authorization on first quarter 2014.
In parallel to this approval process Sempra signed in 2012 commercial agreements with Mitsubishi and Mitsui, then with GDF-Suez for the supply of 4 million tonnes per year (t/y) of LNG. Then to support such a project, Sempra formed a joint venture with commercial partners to give them the opportunity to acquire 16.6% while keeping the remaining 50.2% of the existing facilities and the Cameron LNG project. In May 2013, Sempra, GDF-Suez, Mitsubishi and Mitsui signed tolling agreements for the three LNG trains with a total capacity of 13.5 million tonnes per year (t/y) to provide an export capacity of 12 million t/y. On this base, the Cameron LNG project should require Sempra and its partners GDF-Suez, Mitsubishi and Mitsui, to invest US$7 billion capital expenditure for the first three LNG trains due to ship first export LNG in 2017.
Operators:
Sempra Energy (Sempra): Operator with 50.2% interest
Engie: 16.6% interest
Mitsubishi Corporation (Mitsubishi): 16.6% interest
Mitsui & Co, Ltd (Mitsui): 16.6% interest
Contractors:
Sapient Global Markets: System implementation
CB&I and Chiyoda International Corp.: engineering, procurement, and construction contract to build a 13.5 million tonne/year export plant in Hackberry, La., Cameron Parish.
Foster Wheeler: FEED contract
Off-take companies:
Toho Gas
Latham & Watkins: Advisory services for investment and insurance for the Cameron liquefaction project in Hackberry, Louisiana
Air Products: Agreement to provide its proprietary LNG technology, equipment, and related process license for three production trains for the Cameron LNG liquefaction project. Air Products’ sale includes three main cryogenic coil wound heat exchangers and the associated equipment and technology. Air Products will supply its LNG proprietary C3MRTM liquefaction technology and equipment, and its MCR Main Cryogenic Heat Exchangers will be installed at the heart of the proprietary propane pre-cooled mixed refrigerant liquefaction process.
Elliott Group: Contract to manufacture three compressor trains for Cameron LNG’s new export facility adjacent to Cameron LNG’s existing import terminal and regasification facilities. Elliott will supply three duplicate equipment trains with six Elliott centrifugal compressors for cryogenic, end flash gas service. The compressors will be built and tested at Elliott’s manufacturing facility in Jeannette, PA.
SGS: US$2.35 million contract to perform vendor inspections for Cameron LNG
Mammoet: Heavy lift and heavy haul contract for the Cameron LNG export project in Hackberry, Louisiana. Mammoet will be responsible for supplying over 70 cranes ranging from 25 to 800 tons along with a number of self-propelled modular trailers. Mammoet’s involvement in the project will last 42 months.
Trinity LNG Transport: 25-year time charter deal with Trinity LNG Transport for the eight carrier that will ship the liquefied natural gas from Cameron project in the United States. The 178,000 cbm carrier will be built by Imabari Shipbuilding and is expected to commence its charter deal around 2020.
Setpoint Integrated Solutions: Contract to supply all control, safety relief and automated isolation valves
Lanner: Contract by Cameron LNG to supply its LNG Logistics Simulator. (March 2016)