Cheniere Energy became the U.S. company to export LNG to Japan, after its carrier “Oak Spirit” reached the island nation on Friday following a one-month journey from the Cheniere’s Sabine Pass facility in Lake Charles.
The American Press reports that Jera, a joint company of Tepco and Chubu Electric, announced the LNG carrier had safely docked at Chubu Electric’s Joetsu LNG terminal.
Jera has agreed to buy the LNG cargo from Cheniere in the first of what looks to be many transactions with U.S. exporters. In a statement, Jera says buying U.S. LNG will likely “contribute to a stable energy supply in Japan through the diversification of procurement regions and LNG price indices.”
Exports of U.S. LNG rose in 2016 and are expected to continue rising due to competitive U.S. prices and the country’s newfound access to natural gas through fracking.
