No Joke: By exporting LNG\, US is giving \'molecules of freedom\'\, says DoE

No Joke: By exporting LNG, US is giving 'molecules of freedom', says DoE

U.S. Under Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes said, "More exports of U.S. LNG to the world means more U.S. jobs and more domestic economic growth and cleaner air here at home and around the globe."

Simon Casey | Bloomberg 

oil, gas
Representative Image

The U.S. has a message for the rest of the world: Get ready for a lot more ""

The country’s growing muscle as a isn’t only seen by the Trump administration as an economic boon at home but also viewed as a foreign policy tool. That view was articulated on Tuesday as the announced the approval of liquefied natural gas exports from the Freeport facility in Texas.

“Increasing export capacity from the Freeport LNG project is critical to spreading throughout the world by giving America’s allies a diverse and affordable source of clean energy," U.S. Under Secretary of Energy said in a statement.

"More exports of U.S. LNG to the world means more U.S. jobs and more domestic economic growth and cleaner air here at home and around the globe."

Freeport LNG is one of several projects under construction in the U.S. right now as energy companies seek to capitalize on the boom in shale output by selling some of that abundant supply to overseas customers.

American LNG export terminals are receiving almost 6 billion cubic feet of gas per day, according to data from BloombergNEF and ABB Ltd., equivalent to more than a 10th of domestic production.

The country’s oil exports are also expanding, lifted by rising crude production in the Permian Basin of and That comes as sanctions squeeze supplies from and Venezuela.

"I am pleased that the is doing what it can to promote an efficient regulatory system that allows for molecules of U.S. freedom to be exported to the world,” for Steven Winberg said in the statement.

were also touted in Corpus Christi, Texas, where U.S. officials gathered Wednesday for a ceremony celebrating a project to deepen the port to be able to handle more shipments overseas.

John Cooney, acting deputy for services at the Department of Commerce, called Cheniere Energy Inc.’s an “outstanding example of American ingenuity” and said the port expansion is “foundational for U.S. economic growth.”

First Published: Thu, May 30 2019. 09:56 IST