BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 10. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that U.S. natural gas exports, particularly in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG), will be the main catalyst for growth in the country's natural gas demand, Trend reports.
Total demand encompasses domestic consumption across residential, commercial, industrial, and electric power sectors, as well as LNG exports.
The EIA forecasts U.S. LNG exports to average 12.1 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2024, rising to 13.8 Bcf/d in 2025. However, domestic consumption is anticipated to decline by about 1 Bcf/d compared to this year, primarily due to ample international demand for U.S. LNG.
Key developments include the delayed start-up of the Golden Pass LNG facility, now expected in the second half of 2026, and the Corpus Christi LNG Stage 3 expansion, which will ramp up production in late 2025 instead of mid-2025. Both Corpus Christi Stage 3 and the new Plaquemines LNG facility in Louisiana are in the commissioning phase, with exports anticipated to begin by the end of 2024.
The Plaquemines LNG project, consisting of two phases, will have a total production capacity of nearly 1.6 Bcf/d at peak output. The first phase is expected to ramp up by spring 2025, with the second phase starting exports by the end of 2025. Meanwhile, the Corpus Christi Stage 3 expansion will add a capacity of 1.5 Bcf/d, with three trains expected to be operational by the end of 2025.