FREEPORT, TX. (KGNS) – An explosion at a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Texas has left nearby residents rattled and is taking a substantial amount of the fuel off the market at a time when global demand is soaring.
Freeport LNG will be offline for at least three weeks, the company said Thursday, following a fire in its export facility south of Houston Wednesday.
Few details were released about what happened, but the company said no one was injured, and the cause of the explosion is under investigation.
Normally, Freeport LNG exports about two-billion cubic feet of liquefied natural gas per day about 15 percent of the nation’s LNG exports.
The shutdown comes at a time when global demand for LNG is high because many nations are trying to wean themselves off Russian gas, which is sent into Europe primarily though pipelines; meanwhile, U.S. exports continue to soar.