DOE Streamlines Approval Process for Small-Scale Natural Gas Exports to Caribbean, Latin America

The Energy Department on July 25 issued a final rule to streamline the process for approval of small scale natural gas exports to countries that don’t have a free trade agreement with the United States. Under the final rule, DOE will issue an export authorization based on any complete application to export natural gas, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), to countries with which the U.S. has not entered into a FTA requiring national treatment for trade in natural gas and with which trade is not prohibited by U.S. law or policy. The application must be limited to exports of natural gas up to 51.75 billion cubic feet per year, and must not require an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment. The change will expedite the application and approval process for the emerging market involving exports of small volumes of natural gas from the U.S. to countries primarily in the Caribbean, Central America and South America, DOE said. The rule is effective Aug. 24, 2018.