second wave

Progress for the second wave of U.S. LNG export projects, which already had begun slowing in the latter half of 2019, has come to a near standstill this year, with several developers delaying final investment decisions (FIDs). The economics for U.S. LNG exports have evaporated in recent weeks, and for the first time in the four years or so since the Lower 48 began exporting LNG, cargo cancellations have become a regular part of the U.S. gas market’s vernacular. International prices are signaling that oversupply conditions will linger for a while, likely well after COVID’s impacts on demand ease. Nevertheless, projects that are already under construction are pushing forward, including the last of the first-wave expansions and two facilities from the second wave of proposed projects. There’s also one more second-wave development that could take FID this year. Today, we provide highlights from RBN’s latest LNG Voyager Quarterly report.

Despite the pandemic-driven economic slowdown wreaking havoc on the global LNG market, U.S. LNG export volumes from operating terminals have proven resilient, so far. Total feedgas deliveries to the liquefaction and export facilities peaked at 9.44 Bcf/d less than a month ago and are averaging about 8.3 Bcf/d in April to date. But for many of the already-struggling second wave of U.S. liquefaction projects still under development, the one-two punch of the crude oil price crash and COVID-related lockdowns has further stymied — or in some cases even reversed — their progress toward securing long-term capacity commitments and reaching final investment decisions anytime soon. Today, we provide an update on the status of the next round of prospective LNG export projects.