At last month’s Port commission meeting Jeff Bishop confirmed to a member of the audience that an EIS report due March 2012 conducted in advance of a $60 million dredging project will include two scenarios. Post-Panamax vessels, too large to fit through a non widened Panama Canal and consistent with the larger LNG tankers are being considered in one scenario.

Reuters is reporting the following [emphasis mine]

NEW YORK, May 11 (Reuters) – Southern Union (SUG.N: Quote) and BG Group (BG.L: Quote) filed an application to build a U.S. natural gas export plant this week, the third such filing in a year as companies look to make the most of cheap domestic gas compared to higher-paying markets in Europe and Asia.

Massive increases in North American gas production have eroded import needs and prompted companies to consider exporting domestically-produced gas overseas in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

LNG import terminals built on the expectation that the U.S. would soon be a major importer of LNG have sat largely idle since 2008 as shale gas production soared. Terminal developers are now hoping to build export facilities at their
existing or planned import sites.

LNG is natural gas cooled to a liquid for transport in specially designed tankers.

In addition to the three terminals which have filed for permits in the United States, there are two proposals in Canada. Three other projects are being considered in North America.

Below is a table showing the planned LNG export plants. Capacity is in billion cubic feet per day.
FILED FOR REGULATORY APPROVAL
—–
PROJECT STATE COMPANY START UP SIZE
USA
Sabine Pass Louisiana Cheniere Energy 2015 1*
Lake Charles Louisiana Southern/BG TBD 2
Freeport LNG Texas Freeport/Macquarie 2015 1.4
CANADA
Kitimat LNG BC Apache/EOG/Encana 2015 0.7
LNG Export Co-Op BC LNG Partners/Haisla 2014 0.12

Nation
UNDER CONSIDERATION
—–
USA
Cove Point Maryland Dominion 2015 TBD
Jordon Cove Oregon Fort Chicago/Energy 2016 TBD

Projects Development
CANADA
Prince Rupert BC Shell N/A 1-2 bcfd
*potential expansion to 2 bcfd
(Compiled by Edward McAllister; Editing by David Gregorio)

© Thomson Reuters 2011 All rights reserved

This will make it very difficult for Jordan Cove and Williams Pipeline to establish a need for an import terminal and the corresponding opportunity to obtain private property easements via eminent domain.

(hat tip/Holly)