The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved Corpus Christi Liquefaction LLC's request to introduce refrigerants to its first natural gas liquefaction unit at the Corpus Christi export terminal, bringing the plant closer to producing its first LNG by the end of the year.

FERC gave the Cheniere Energy Inc. unit the authorization in an Oct. 11 letter, but it did not grant the company permission to introduce hazardous fluids to other facilities.

Corpus Christi Liquefaction already received permission in an Aug. 16 FERC order to introduce feed gas to train 1. The train is expected to begin producing by the end of 2018 and to start commercial service in 2019. The company also received permission to start commissioning a dry gas flare, which is used to burn vapor from the latter stages of processing. Train 1 will have the capacity to produce 4.5 million tonnes per annum of LNG, the equivalent of about 0.7 Bcf/d of gas.

Cheniere has touted the Corpus Christi LNG plant as the first export terminal built from the ground up in the Lower 48 instead of adapted to an existing facility. The company is building a second train of the same size at Corpus Christi and expects it to be completed in the second half of 2019. In May, Cheniere announced a final investment decision for a third train of the same size at the terminal. (FERC docket CP12-507)