The U.S. is poised to become the third largest exporter of liquefied natural gas behind Australia and Qatar as export capacity is projected to reach 8.9 billion cubic feet per day by the end of next year – up from the current capacity of 3.6 billion cubic feet, according to a Dec. 10 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

• The U.S. began exporting LNG in February 2016 from the Sabine Pass Liquefaction terminal in Louisiana, which has since expanded from one to four units and the Cove Point LNG export facility began operation in Maryland.
• Cameron LNG in Louisiana and Freeport LNG in Texas are currently being commissioned and are expected to be placed in service in 2019.
• The Elba Island LNG facility in Georgia, consisting of 10 small modular liquefaction units with a combined capacity of 0.33 billion cubic feet per day, is also scheduled to become fully operational by the end of 2019.
• Magnolia LNG, Delfin LNG, Lake Charles, Golden Pass, and the sixth unit at Sabine Pass that represent a combined export capacity of 7.6 billion cubic feet per day have cleared federal approval processes and are expected to make final investment decisions in the coming months.
• U.S. exports of LNG through the first half of 2018 rose 58 percent compared with the same period in 2017, which marked the first time the U.S. became a net exporter of natural gas in almost 60 years.