FERC approves Cheniere’s Corpus Christi Liquefaction project, pipeline

The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has authorized Cheniere’s Corpus Christi Liquefaction LLC and Cheniere Corpus Christi Pipeline LP to construct and operate their proposed 15-million ton/year (tpy) liquefaction plant, 400-MMcfd regasification terminal, and associated pipeline. FERC concluded that any adverse environmental impacts from the projects would be reduced to less than significant levels via implementation of the 104 conditions included in the approval.

Corpus Christi Liquefaction plans to build three 5-million tpy liquefaction trains and three 160,000 cu m LNG storage tanks. The liquefaction project will also include two trains of ambient air vaporizers, each with an average vaporization capacity of 200 MMcfd.

The project will also include a marine terminal with two berths on the north end of the La Quinta Channel, capable of receiving 200 to 300 LNG carriers annually. Each berth will consist of a maneuvering area and a protected marine berth area. Four tugs will be available to maneuver the LNG carriers. Two parallel LNG transfer lines will deliver LNG between the LNG carriers and the LNG storage tanks at a rate not to exceed 12,000 cu m/hour.

In conjunction with the liquefaction project, Cheniere Pipeline, formerly Corpus Christi Pipeline Co., will build and operate a 23-mile, 48-in OD, bidirectional pipeline in San Patricio County from Corpus Christi Liquefaction to a point near Sinton, Tex. The 2.25 bcfd pipeline will move both domestic natural gas to the plant for export and regasified imports from the LNG terminal to interconnections with the existing pipeline systems of Texas Eastern Transmission Corp., Kinder Morgan Tejas Pipeline LLC, Natural Gas Pipeline Co. of America, Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp., and Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. The pipeline will operate at a 1,440-psig maximum allowable operating pressure.

Cheniere Pipeline will also build and operate the Taft Compressor Station at milepost 7.5 and the Sinton Compressor Station at MP 21.5. The Taft Compressor Station will consist of two Solar Centaur 50 6,387-hp units and the Sinton Compressor Station will consist of two Solar Titan 130 20,387-hp units.

Cheniere expects Corpus Christi Liquefaction to begin operations in 2018-19. Kinder Morgan Inc. last month agreed to provide 550 MMcfd of firm natural gas transportation service to the project (OGJ Online, Dec. 11, 2014).

Contact Christopher E. Smith at [email protected].