Third US Sabine Pass LNG Train Good to Go

Cheniere Energy Partners said March 31 that Train 3 of its Sabine Pass liquefaction project (pictured below) has achieved 'substantial completion' – or finished commissioning – and US engineers Bechtel transferred the "care and custody" of it to its client March 28.

Under a sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with Korea Gas Corporation, the date of first commercial delivery for Train 3 of the project is expected in June 2017, upon which the SPA's 20-year term starts. Until then, Cheniere as the owner and operator can offer cargoes with no obligation to buy to Kogas or it will be able to trade any output on its own account.

Cheniere Partners, through Sabine Pass Liquefaction, plans to construct over time up to six liquefaction trains, which are in various stages of development, construction and operations. Trains 1, 2, and 3 have achieved substantial completion, Train 4 is in the commissioning process, Train 5 is under construction, and Train 6 is fully permitted and being commercialised.

(Credit: Cheniere)

Each liquefaction train is expected to have a nominal production capacity, which is prior to adjusting for planned maintenance, production reliability and potential overdesign, of some 4.5mn metric tons/yr. SPL has six third-party LNG SPAs that in the aggregate equate to about 19.75mn mt/yr of LNG, allowing it flexibility for maintenance and for trading purposes.

William Powell