From the AFR:
The US House energy committee has approved legislation to limit the length of review time for liquefied natural gas export applications, in a compromise aimed at attracting bipartisan support for speeding up US gas shipments overseas.
The bill, passed by a vote of 33 to 18, would require the Department of Energy to issue a decision on applications 90 days after the close of their public comment periods.
…More than half of the more than 20 pending applications have been past their comment periods for more than three months. The measure would set a deadline for the DOE to weigh in on these projects 90 days after the bill is passed into law.
Companies would still need approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission before they could begin construction of a LNG project.
In better news, Arrow sees integration:
Royal Dutch Shell has signalled that it is moving closer to a merger for its Arrow LNG venture in Queensland involving one or more of the other liquefied natural gas projects in the state.
Any deal won’t need investment in expensive new LNG infrastructure.
Chief financial officer Simon Henry said on a conference call from London on Wednesday that one particular option was shaping up as more likely for Arrow, but declined to give details.
That will help plug the existing project volumes gap.
