Corpus Christi Liquefaction, a subsidiary of Cheniere Energy, started the construction of the Corpus Christi Liquefaction (CCL) plant in May 2015. The project site, covering an area of approximately 1,000 acres, is located on the La Quinta Channel, north-east of Corpus Christi Bay in San Patricio County, Texas, US.
The project is being developed in stages, with Stage 1 scheduled to start operations in 2018. The liquefaction plant will be supplied with resources from the Eagle Ford Shale, located approximately 60km from the project site.
The first two stages of the project will comprise the construction of three LNG trains with liquefaction capacity of 4.5 million metric tonnes per annum (mtpa) each. Plans are in place to add two more 4.5mtpa liquefaction trains as part of Stage 3, to increase the total capacity of the CCL plant to approximately 22.5mtpa. Regulatory approvals for Stage 3 are expected in 2017.
“The liquefaction plant will be supplied with resources from the Eagle Ford Shale, located approximately 60km from the project site.”
The CCL plant and the Sabine Pass Liquefaction plant are expected to generate 950 full-time jobs and further support approximately 125,000 indirect jobs upon starting operations.
Bechtel is the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the project.
Corpus Christi liquefaction project Stages 1 and 2
The plant will be capable of performing both natural gas liquefaction and regasification, and will be equipped with associated import and export facilities.
In addition to the three LNG trains, the first two stages of the project will also involve the construction of three 160,000m³ LNG storage tanks, two shipping berths that can accommodate vessels with capacity of up to 267,000m³, and an export / import natural gas pipeline.
Two LNG trains, two storage tanks, one complete berth, and a second partial berth are being constructed as part of the Stage 1. The Stage 2 will involve the construction of an LNG train, an additional storage tank, and completion of the second berth.
Natural gas will be exported or imported via a bidirectional, 23-mile long, 48in in diameter and 5bcf/d capacity pipeline, which will interconnect with interstate and intrastate natural gas transmission pipelines in South Texas.
The vapourisation component of the project will comprise two trains with a combined processing capacity of 200 million cubic feet a day (Mmscfd).
Liquefaction technology
The LNG trains will incorporate ConocoPhillips’ proprietary Optimized Cascade technology, which integrates three refrigeration phases involving propane, ethylene and methane to cool the natural gas. Each LNG train will be fitted with six GE LM2500 G4+ gas turbine-driven refrigerant compressors.
Freeport LNG’s Liquefaction Project, Texas, USA
Freeport LNG is expanding its existing LNG regasification terminal at Freeport, Texas, by adding liquefaction facilities.
The vaporisation trains will comprise ambient air vapourisers (AAVs).
LNG sale and purchase agreements
Enel Group will purchase three billion cubic metres of gas a year from Train 1, Iberdrola and PT Pertamina (Persero) will respectively purchase 0.8mtpa and 1.52mtpa of LNG from Trains 1 and 2, and Endesa Generación will purchase approximately 2.25mtpa from the two trains.
Woodside Energy Trading Singapore and Gas Natural Fenosa LNG will purchase 0.85mtpa and 1.5mtpa of LNG respectively from Train 2. Central El Campesino has agreed to purchase 0.6mtpa of LNG from the project starting from 2019.
Further, Électricité de France (EDF) will purchase 0.77mtpa of LNG from Trains 2 and 3 and Energias de Portugal (EDP) has agreed to purchase 0.77mtpa of LNG from Train 3.
The sale and purchase agreements (SPA) are valid for a term of 20 years, extendable by an additional 10 years.
Gas transportation and storage
Kinder Morgan Texas Pipeline, Kinder Morgan Tejas Pipeline and Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company (TGP) have agreed to provide 550,000 dekatherms a day (Dth/d) of firm natural gas transportation service, including 3bcf of natural gas storage capacity, for the project under a 15-year agreement. The transportation capacity is expandable by 800,000Dth/d.
Financing the Corpus Christi liquefaction project
The total cost for the construction of the first two trains, one berth and the natural gas supply pipeline is estimated to be $11.5bn.
Debt commitments for the project, amounting to $11.5bn, were arranged by 31 commercial banks and other financial institutions, while $3.1bn of equity is being provided by affiliates of Cheniere Energy through capital raises from EIG Global Energy Partners.
