Demand for U.S. natural gas from LNG export plants rose to the highest level since late April on Thursday as major Texas facilities returned to service from maintenance, according to preliminary data from LSEG.
* Feedgas deliveries to U.S. LNG plants climbed to 18.5 billion cubic feet per day.
* The increase was driven by higher flows to Cheniere Energy’s Corpus Christi plant and Freeport LNG, the third- and fourth-largest LNG export facilities in the U.S.
* Freeport confirmed on Thursday that a major maintenance work program has been completed.
* Cheniere said on Wednesday that Corpus Christi had completed planned maintenance and had returned to full operations.
* The U.S. is the world’s largest LNG exporter, and liquefaction plants are among the biggest sources of natural gas demand in the country, making feedgas levels a closely watched market indicator.
* Corpus Christi can consume about 2.5 bcfd of gas when operating at full capacity. Freeport can consume about 2.0 bcfd.
(Reporting by Curtis Williams in Houston; Editing by Nathan Crooks and Bill Berkrot)