Freeport LNG Nears Full Output as China’s Imports Rebound

Freeport LNG’s export terminal on the Texas Gulf Coast is close to regaining full operating power after a brief outage earlier in the week, according to feed-gas figures from LSEG and a filing with state regulators. The data show 1.9 billion cubic feet of natural gas a day entering the plant on Thursday, up from 1.6 bcf on Tuesday and approaching the site’s roughly 2.1 bcf capacity across three liquefaction trains. One train was idled Tuesday night following a compressor problem that triggered an emissions event, the filing said. The recovery in U.S. export capacity coincides with a pick-up in Asian demand. China’s 30-day moving average for liquefied natural gas imports has climbed to 179,000 tons, the highest level in several months, as utilities replenish inventories ahead of peak summer power consumption. The combination of resurgent Chinese buying and rising U.S. export flows could tighten the global LNG market if the trends persist.