New Procedures and Analyses for LNG Export Authorizations: Opportunity for Public Comment

Published
American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grants natural gas export authorizations to non-Free Trade Agreement (FTA) countries unless the proposed exports will “not be consistent with the public interest.”

DOE is changing its authorization procedures. DOE has also released two environmental analyses that it uses in its public interest determinations, and has announced that it is starting a new economic study that for use in its future public interest determinations.

Authorization Process

To date the authorization process has involved two steps by DOE: 1) conditional review and public interest determination in advance of the final environmental review by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and 2) the final review and public interest determination following the environmental review.

The cost to apply for a DOE authorization is $20,000, while the FERC environmental review could cost up to $100 million. This cost structure encourages applications by companies that may not be serious about completing the entire review process.

Under the new one-step procedure, DOE will only review applications and make a final export determination after the environmental review is completed. This should give priority to the most commercially advanced projects.

As of June 1 DOE has given preliminary authorization to seven projects. One non-FTA export project has completed its FERC environmental assessment.

The proposed procedural changes as well as the two reports listed below are available for review and comment before July 21, 2014 here.

Environmental Impacts of LNG Exports

DOE has recently released two reports on environmental issues associated with natural gas exports:

Final Note: Free Trade Agreement Countries

Natural gas export authorizations to FTA countries are automatically approved. The United States has Free Trade Agreements with 20 countries: Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Jordan, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, Peru and Singapore.

What Can I Do?

Add Item

Enter Notes:
 
* You must be logged in to name and customize your collection.
Recommend Recommend
Printable Version Printable Version Email to a friend Email to a friend

See Also: ACE Program Paper

ACE Program Paper Hall B, Room 3 Imaging the Overturned Limb of a Footwall Syncline in the Western Canadian Fold and Thrust Belt Imaging the Overturned Limb of a Footwall Syncline in the Western Canadian Fold and Thrust Belt Desktop 25931

See Also: Short Course

Short Course American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) SC-04 Applied Concepts in Fractured Reservoirs SC-04 Applied Concepts in Fractured Reservoirs Desktop /Portals/0/PackFlashItemImages/WebReady/IMAGE21-applied-concepts-in-fractured-res-hero2.jpg?width=100&h=100&mode=crop&anchor=middlecenter&quality=75amp;encoder=freeimage&progressive=true 60831

See Also: Events Blog

Events Blog Spotlight—Women in Geology: Anna Krylova, MicroSeismic Spotlight—Women in Geology: Anna Krylova, MicroSeismic Desktop /Portals/0/PackFlashItemImages/WebReady/Celebrating-Women-in-Science-955x400.png?width=100&h=100&mode=crop&anchor=middlecenter&quality=75amp;encoder=freeimage&progressive=true 68372

See Also: Explorer Historical Highlight

Explorer Historical Highlights Resilient, Part 2: Tangguh LNG’s Giant Discoveries Resilient, Part 2: Tangguh LNG’s Giant Discoveries Desktop /Portals/0/PackFlashItemImages/WebReady/resilient-part-2-hero.jpg?width=100&h=100&mode=crop&anchor=middlecenter&quality=75amp;encoder=freeimage&progressive=true 68085

See Also: wwwUpdate Blog

wwwUpdate Blog AAPG Announces Thomas Wilker as New Executive Director AAPG Announces Thomas Wilker as New Executive Director Desktop /Portals/0/PackFlashItemImages/WebReady/blog-tom-wilker-hero.jpg?width=100&h=100&mode=crop&anchor=middlecenter&quality=75amp;encoder=freeimage&progressive=true 68725

Energy Policy Office