U.S. regulator issues new list of demands to Freeport LNG for restart

Freeport LNG shut its 15 million-tonne-per-year Quintana, Texas, plant on June 8 after an explosion and fire that energy consultants blamed on inadequate operating and

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission sent a detailed list seeking additional information or documents for 64 items following a Nov. 30 visit to the facility by FERC, the U.S. Coast Guard and Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

It said any restart authorization “will only be granted following the review of filed responses … and documentation that acceptable measures have been put into place to safely return the facilities to operation,” the letter dated Dec. 12 said.

A Freeport LNG spokesperson said there was “nothing new to report” on its plans to restart commercial operations by the end of December. The company has previously missed three of its targeted restarts.

The closely held company is the second-largest U.S. exporter of superchilled gas via its three processing units. In November, it said it expects to be processing about 2 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) of gas into LNG in January, and reach full production in March 2023.

The information sought in the request included status of personnel training, safety and emergency plans, and proposed remedial actions in response to a consultant’s report detailing what caused the fire.