Dominion Energy Inc.'s Cove Point has become the second large-scale U.S. LNG exporter, joining Cheniere Energy Inc.'s Sabine Pass in shipping chilled shale gas around the world.
The Gemmata LNG tanker, owned by a Royal Dutch Shell plc affiliate, left Maryland's Cove Point late March 1, according to a release from Dominion.
The vessel was entering the Atlantic Ocean from the Chesapeake Bay at 8:15 a.m. ET, according to MarineTraffic.com, which uses information from a network of vessels that voluntarily report their movements to stations around the world. The Gemmata did not have a scheduled destination listed.
Shell NA LNG has an agreement with the developer to provide gas to the Cove Point facility and take volumes of LNG produced prior to the export terminal's official in-service date. The project is expected to enter commercial service in early March, after it was delayed from late 2017.
In the March 2 release, Dominion said the facility is undergoing final commissioning and "all major equipment has been operated and is being commissioned as expected following a comprehensive round of testing and quality assurance activities."
Once Cove Point is in commercial service, GAIL (India) Ltd. and a joint venture between Sumitomo Corp. and Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd. will receive LNG produced at the terminal under 20-year contracts.
The $4 billion export terminal has a capacity 5.25 million tonnes per annum, equivalent to 8.3 million gallons of LNG per day. The addition of Cove Point will bring total U.S. liquefaction capacity to more than 23 mtpa.
