DOE Requires Filing of Reports on Transit Shipments of Natural Gas

The Energy Department will require monthly reports from shippers of natural gas that pass through the U.S. in transit, it said (here). DOE says it does not consider in-transit shipments, which include “shipments of natural gas that only temporarily pass through the United States before returning to their country of origin, or temporarily pass through a foreign country before returning to the United States, for consumption or other disposition,” to be import or export shipments that require the agency’s authorization. However, DOE will require the entity holding title to the natural gas to file a report within 30 days of the end of the month that the in-transit shipment was completed, providing DOE details of the shipment. DOE will also require report filers to maintain copies of the reports in their records. The notice is effective Aug. 30.