Department of Energy - statistics on imports of liquefied natural gas from Jan. to Sep. 1997 - Brief Article

Diesel Progress North American Edition, March, 1998

The most recent quarterly statistics released by the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Natural Gas and Petroleum Import and Export Activities indicates that imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) during the first nine months of 1997 were the highest for that period since 1993. In total, some 52.7 billion cu.ft. of LNG was imported into the U.S. during the first nine months of 1997, according to the DOE numbers. That figure was more than double the import level during the same period in 1996.

In the third quarter of 1997, 19 billion cu.ft. of LNG was imported, 12.3 billion by Massachusetts-based Distrigas. The remainder of imports during this period was brought into the U.S. by Duke Energy LNG Sales. Distrigas paid $2.38 per mmBtu of LNG imported, a price fixed through a long-term agreement. Duke Energy paid less at $2 per mmBtu.

The only LNG exporters in the U.S., Marathon Oil and Phillips Alaska Natural Gas, exported 15.1 billion cf during the third quarter of 1997.