Mexico's Pacific Coast Terminal Ships LNG Under US Permits
A converted import terminal on Mexico's Pacific coast is now shipping liquefied natural gas (LNG) to international markets. The terminal, which was previously a receiving terminal for years, has been converted to export LNG, with two United States export permits allowing it to ship up to 0.50 billion cubic feet of gas per day.
The terminal's single train can chill about 0.4 billion cubic feet of gas per day, but pipeline constraints rather than gas supply are the limiting factor in its output. The authorized volumes and American origin of the feed gas are set out by a federal agency, but the actual number is determined by steel capacity.
The terminal's advantage lies in its route to Asian buyers, which avoids canal transit and Gulf weather, making it an attractive location for developers. Another operator is planning a larger project on the same coastline, piping Permian gas west toward a Pacific shortcut.