(Reuters) — Freeport LNG said on Wednesday that trains 1 and 2 at its liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Texas are anticipated to be down until May, while train 3 is now back online.
"Train 2 liquefaction unit is now offline, and our train 1 liquefaction unit will be taken down imminently," a company spokesperson told Reuters in an email.
The spokesperson also said that repairs pertaining to train 1 and 2 will be completed in May.
Each liquefaction train at Freeport can turn about 0.7 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of gas into LNG.
"It was during the January freeze that damage occurred in one of the Train 3 motors. Once we understood the cause of the damage, we knew it would be prudent to take proactive steps to inspect our other two trains," the spokesperson added.
Earlier in the day, the company said that after maintenance work, Freeport LNG’s production capacity will increase by 10% from 15 million metric tons a year (mpta) to just over 16.5 mtpa roughly by June. Additionally, the company noted that its train 4, which has received all regulatory approvals, will add another 25% of LNG production capacity when it becomes operational.
Freeport LNG, one of the largest U.S. operators of LNG export terminals, experienced a significant fire in 2022.
The U.S. was the largest exporter of LNG globally in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and was also the largest exporter of LNG to Europe.