Freeport-McMoRan Energy Asks DOE for Separate Review of Non-FTA LNG Exports from Deepwater Terminals
Freeport-McMoRan Energy LLC (FME) recently submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requesting that DOE consider FME’s application to export LNG from its proposed Main Pass Deepwater port to nations without a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States separately from applications to export LNG to non-FTA nations from onshore facilities. Because FME’s Main Pass Energy Hub Deepwater Port construction application is under U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) jurisdiction rather than FERC’s, FME requested that DOE establish a separate and simultaneous order of preference for consideration of LNG exports from MARAD jurisdictional facilities.
Separately, the American Public Gas Association, representing municipal gas companies, and Sierra Club filed protests concerning FME’s non-FTA LNG export application. Among other things, the protests cite potential domestic gas price increases and negative environmental affects that could result from approval of the application.
FME’s letter and the protests can be found on DOE’s website.