Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staff authorized exports of initial LNG volumes produced as Sempra Energy-led Cameron LNG LLC completes commissioning work on the first natural gas liquefaction train of its Louisiana facility.

FERC's approval, issued May 20, came about a week after developers of the export project announced the first LNG production, which made Cameron LNG the fourth large-scale facility in the mainland U.S. to become operational.

President Donald Trump visited the facility the day of the LNG production announcement and touted America's increasing energy exports. At the time, Sempra officials said the first exports to international markets were expected to begin in the coming weeks.

Cameron LNG first requested the export authorization from FERC on May 9. The Cameron LNG terminal and a planned expansion already had approval from the U.S. Department of Energy for exports.

The about $10 billion first phase of the Cameron LNG project is owned by affiliates of Sempra LNG, TOTAL SA, Mitsui & Co. Ltd. and a company jointly owned by Mitsubishi Corp. and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha. It includes three liquefaction trains with an estimated total export capacity of 12 million tonnes per annum of LNG, or about 1.7 Bcf/d of gas. Sempra indirectly owns 50.2% of the project. (FERC docket CP13-25)