U.S. LNG feedgas demand increased last week, with most terminals operating at or near full capacity. The primary exception is Freeport, where ongoing planned maintenance combined with a series of unplanned outages this month has continued to suppress intake.
Feedgas last week averaged 17.6 Bcf/d, up 0.32 Bcf/d week over week, according to our LNG Voyager Weekly Report. Demand was largely unaffected by Hurricane Bertha, which made landfall in Louisiana on July 22 before moving into Texas the next day.
While Freeport intake has improved modestly, the terminal remains below full utilization. Portions of the terminal are expected to be offline for maintenance through early August, and unplanned disruptions have reduced flows (see dark blue section below).
Sabine Pass rebounded following maintenance on the Creole Trail Pipeline, its primary header system. Corpus Christi continues to post strong intake levels as Stage III completes its ramp-up. At Golden Pass, commissioning volumes held steady at about 320 MMcf/d. This is below the feedgas requirements expected at full operations.
