Sempra, Mexican government agree to LNG development terms

Sempra Infrastructure, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy, and Mexico’s Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) have signed a nonbinding MOU for development of the 4-million tonne/year (tpy) Vista Pacífico LNG plant in Topolobampo, Sinaloa; a regasification terminal in La Paz, Baja California Sur; and the resumption of operations of the 510-MMcfd Guaymas-El Oro pipeline in Sonora.

Sempra said the development of these projects would allow CFE to optimize excess pipeline capacity from Texas to Topolobampo to increase natural gas supply to its power plants in Baja California Sur.

The Guaymas–El Oro pipeline’s potential return to service follows a rerouting based on agreements reached with the Yaqui Indigenous community. It was shut in 2017 and would supply both the Vista Pacifico plant and consumers on Mexico’s Pacific coast.

Vista Pacifico LNG SAPI de CV in 2020 applied with the US Department of Energy for long-term multi-contract authorization to export as much as 667 MMcfd of US-sourced gas to Mexico and reexport 550 MMcfd as LNG from Topolobampo.

Vista Pacifico would include a single 180,000-cu m storage tank.