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US LNG exports rebound in August on higher output from Freeport LNG

Exports of U.S. melted natural gas bounced higher in August as output from the nation's secondlargest export facility increased following an interruption and maintenance activities at other plants unwind, preliminary data from financial firm LSEG revealed on Tuesday.

Exports of the superchilled gas rose to 7.48 million metric heaps (MT) in August, up from the 6.69 MT in July, which marked the second-lowest month-to-month exports of the year, the LSEG information revealed.

The U.S. in 2015 was the world's largest LNG exporter.

In August, Freeport LNG sometimes run above nameplate capacity as it began to take advantage of its debottlenecking work to include output beyond the plant's 15.3 MTPA capacity following an failure in July.

The Texas company's operations were offline for a time last month after a shutdown ahead of Typhoon Beryl, which struck the Texas coast near Freeport as a Classification 1 hurricane on July 8. The plant stayed down for eight days and resumed operations on a phased basis.

U.S LNG manufacturers continued to prefer exports to Asia. A heat wave was driving Asian LNG rates while a well-supplied Europe was putting downward pressure on prices on the continent, Masanori Odaka, senior expert at Rystad Energy, stated last month.

In August, 3.19 MT, or simply under 43%, was provided to Asia, a comparable percentage however a slightly higher volume compared to the 2.9 MT delivered in July, LSEG ship tracking data revealed.

Europe remained the second-favored location for U.S. exports, with 2.92 MT, or 39%, offered to the continent, surpassing the 36% supplied to the continent in July.

Egypt, which continues to face a hot summertime, imported 0.7 MT. from the U.S. and Jordan imported 0.08 MT of the superchilled. gas in August, LSEG information showed.

Sales of LNG to Latin America were 1.08 MT, or just over. 14%. The share was greater than the 11% offered to the area in. July, LSEG information reveal.

There were 2 cargoes that were out for orders with a total. volume of 0.14 MT, shiptracking data revealed.

In August, Venture Global LNG's 20 MTPA Plaquemines LNG. center signified it was close to start-up with the importation. of LNG to cool its facility.

When the Louisiana plant is totally operating, it will become. the second-largest U.S. export center and more cement the. U.S. as the world's biggest exporter of the superchilled gas.

(source: Reuters)