Mexico Pacific Limited LLC (MPL) | FECM Docket No. 22-167-LNG

The Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management gives notice of receipt of an Application filed on December 28, 2022, by Mexico Pacific Limited LLC (MPL).  The Application requests additional long-term, multi-contract authorization to export domestically produced natural gas to Mexico in a volume up to 425.57 billion cubic feet (Bcf) per year (Bcf/yr) (1.17 Bcf per day), and to re-export 291.22 Bcf/yr (0.80 Bcf per day) of this natural gas as liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Free Trade Agreement (FTA) countries, and to Non-Free Trade Agreement (NFTA) countries.  MPL seeks to re-export this LNG by vessel from its proposed liquefaction and export terminal project, the MPL Facility, to be located in the State of Sonora, Mexico to any country that has, or in the future will have, the capacity to import LNG via ocean-going carrier, with which the United States has, or in the future enters into, an FTA requiring national treatment for trade in natural gas, and/or NFTA countries, with which trade is not prohibited by U.S. law or policies.  Authorization is requested for a term extending through December 31, 2050.  MPL requests this authorization on its own behalf and as agent for other parties who hold title to the LNG at the time of export.  A Federal Register Notice will be issued for the NFTA portion of this application.

DOE will consider one or more of the following studies examining the cumulative impacts of exporting domestically produced LNG:

• Effect of Increased Levels of Liquefied Natural Gas on U.S. Energy Markets, conducted by the U.S. Energy Information Administration upon DOE’s request (2014 EIA LNG Export Study);
• The Macroeconomic Impact of Increasing U.S. LNG Exports, conducted jointly by the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and Oxford Economics, on behalf of DOE (2015 LNG Export Study); and
• Macroeconomic Outcomes of Market Determined Levels of U.S. LNG Exports, conducted by NERA Economic Consulting on behalf of DOE (2018 LNG Export Study)

Additionally, DOE will consider the following environmental documents:

• Addendum to Environmental Review Documents Concerning Exports of Natural Gas From the United States, 79 FR 48132 (Aug. 15, 2014)
• Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Perspective on Exporting Liquefied Natural Gas from the United States, 79 FR 32260 (June 4, 2014)
• 2019 Update to Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Perspective on Exporting Liquefied Natural Gas from the United States, 84 FR 49278 (Sep. 19, 2019)