Statoil may take a decision on a “second train” of LNG production at its Snøhvit facility, which now exports mainly to the US, after another well is drilled into the Barents Sea reservoir later this year, Statoil’s Senior Vice President for Northern Operations Ivar Aasheim according to Upstreamonline.com.
Aasheim said that the Snøhvit decision would have to take into account the large-scale discoveries of shale gas in the US which had depressed gas prices and led to more LNG imports to Europe.
- Shale gas has put pressure on gas prices in the US and lots of people are sending LNG to Europe, which is again hitting us, he said.
As BarentsObserver reported, shipments from the Melkøya LNG plant were resumed in January after a four months maintenance halt.
The Snøhvit gas field is the first development in the Barents Sea and the world’s northernmost LNG facility.
At peak production an LNG tanker will depart from Melkøya every five or six days, with each vessel transporting almost 150,000 cubic metres of LNG to customers worldwide.
