Total in North America LNG projects MoU

Total and US company Sempra Energy have signed an MoU under which the two will collaborate on LNG projects in the USA and Mexico, the French major announced in a Monday press statement.

Total plans to work with Sempra to develop the Cameron LNG liquefaction and export facility in Louisiana, and with Sempra’s Mexican subsidiary IEnova for the development of the Energía Costa Azul liquefaction and export terminal in Baja California.

The deal could see Total buy as much as 9 million tonnes per year (tpy) of LNG from the two facilities and become a stakeholder in Energía Costa Azul LNG, the statement said. The major already holds a 16.6% interest in Cameron LNG.

The Cameron LNG terminal is being developed in two stages and will have a total LNG export capacity of 25 million tpy upon completion. The first 14-million-tpy phase is to come on line in 2019. The two-phase Energía Costa Azul project will have a total export capacity of 14.5 million tpy, the statement added.

“Sempra Energy has a long-term goal of developing more than 45 Mtpa [million tpy] of LNG export capacity in North America. That is why our relationship with Total is so important,” Jeffrey W. Martin, CEO of the US company, said. “We plan to leverage the competitive strengths of both companies to accelerate development of North American LNG exports to global markets.”