據天然氣加工新聞網8月3日報道，美國液化天然氣公司自由港液化天然氣(Freeport LNG )要求聯邦能源監管機構再延長三年，直到2026年5月，在其位于德克薩斯州的液化天然氣出口工廠完成其擬議的第四條液化生產線。

美國聯邦能源監管委員會（FERC）于2019年5月批準建造第四條生產線，要求自由港在2023年5月之前的四年內完成該設施的建設。

與全球其他LNG出口商一樣，因新冠疫情需求遭到破壞，歐洲和亞洲的汽油價格跌至創紀錄的低點之后，自由港推遲了對今年初建造第四條生產線做出最終投資決定（FID）的計劃。

自由港發言人希瑟·布朗（Heather Browne）表示，鑒于因新冠疫情當前的市場狀況，自由港LNG預計今年不會對第四條條液化生產線做出FID，其并指出“如果市場狀況改善，我們可以準備在2021年中期開始建造。”

在3月推遲FID之前，自由港曾表示計劃于2020年第一季度對4號生產線做出決定，這將使該設備于2023年投入使用。

在2019年中，包括Freeport在內的十幾個北美開發商表示，他們計劃在年底之前做出FID。但是這些項目都沒有在建。所有這些FID都被推遲到2020年或更晚。

在今年年初，另外十二個開發商（其中一些來自2019年）表示，他們計劃在今年年底之前做出FID。然而，目前，這一總數已減少到只有四個，分析家稱，他們預計今年只有一個項目可以實際進行。

自由港的每條生產線設計成年產約500萬噸LNG，即約70億立方英尺/天。

郝芬 譯自 天然氣加工新聞網

原文如下:

Freeport seeks more time to build Train 4 at LNG export plant

U.S. LNG company Freeport LNG asked federal energy regulators for three more years until May 2026 to complete its proposed fourth liquefaction train at its LNG export plant in Texas.

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved construction of the fourth train in May 2019, requiring Freeport to finish the facility within four years by May 2023.

Like other LNG exporters around the world, Freeport put off making a final investment decision (FID) to build the fourth train earlier this year after gas prices in Europe and Asia collapsed to record lows due to coronavirus demand destruction.

“Given the current market conditions resulting from COVID-19, Freeport LNG does not expect to reach FID on Train 4 this year,” Freeport spokeswoman Heather Browne said, noting “we can be ready to start construction by mid-2021, if market conditions improve.”

Before delaying the FID in March, Freeport had said it planned to make a decision on Train 4 during the first quarter of 2020, which would have enabled the unit to enter service in 2023.

In mid-2019, a dozen North American developers, including Freeport, said they planned to make FIDs by the end of the year. But none of those projects are under construction. All of those FIDs were delayed until 2020 or later.

At the start of 2020, another dozen developers - some from 2019 - said they planned to make FIDs by the end of this year. Currently, however, that total is down to just four, and analysts said they expect only one project to actually go forward this year.

Each train at Freeport is designed to produce about 5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of LNG or around 0.7 billion cubic feet per day。