Freeport LNG restarting Train 3 after voluntary shutdown during Texas freeze

Houston — Freeport LNG was preparing to restart its third liquefaction train Feb. 23 after shutting it down to minimize the use of natural gas and electric power consumption during the recent Texas freeze that forced blackouts across the state, a state regulatory notice said.

The facility south of Houston has been operating at sharply reduced utilization since Feb. 12, just ahead of when the lowest temperatures in decades caused disruptions in gas pipeline flows to Gulf Coast liquefaction terminals and reduced services along shipping lanes.

The state's governor had asked the terminal to pull back operations and limit energy consumption, allowing for more energy to remain on the Texas grid to meet heating demand.

According to a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality notice, flaring at Freeport LNG was to occur starting Feb. 23 and last through Feb. 25 due to the re-start of Train 3 after its unplanned voluntary shutdown.

"The plant operators will manage the re-start of the Liquefaction Train 3 as efficiently as possible to minimize flaring," the notice said.

Total US feedgas demand has rebounded sharply in recent days after about a week of bitterly cold weather in Texas.

The operational disruptions due to the weather caused US feedgas demand to bottom out at 2.2 Bcf/d on Feb. 16, the lowest level in two years. On Feb. 23, feedgas deliveries totaled 9.4 Bcf/d, up from 8.9 Bcf/d the day before, S&P Global Platts Analytics data showed.

Freeport LNG feedgas flows totaled 619 MMcf/d on Feb. 23, three times the 205 MMcf/d the day before. Flows to the terminal stood at 1.5 Bcf/d on Feb. 11, the day before the sharply lower utilization took hold.