BG Group gets federal approval to build US LNG facility

BG Group said it had received approval from the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to construct and operate a natural gas liquefaction and export facility in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

FERC approval is the key remaining regulatory consent for the Lake Charles LNG project, which BG Group is developing with Energy Transfer Equity LP and Energy Transfer Partners.

Energy Transfer owns an existing LNG regasification facility in Lake Charles, which will be converted to a liquefaction facility.
The project has conditional authorization from the US Department of Energy for the export of up to 2bn cubic feet of natural gas per day or approximately 15m metric tons of LNG per annum.

Final investment decisions from both BG Group and Energy Transfer are expected to be taken in 2016, with construction to start immediately following a positive decision and first LNG exports anticipated about four years later.