Energy & Science
Ukraine War Gives U.S. LNG Chance to Shed Fracked-Gas Stigma
Cheniere leads the way to prove it’s plugging methane leaks in hopes of new long-term contracts.
Tug boats prepare to pull out an LNG tanker at the Cheniere Sabine Pass Liquefaction facility in Cameron, Louisiana on April. 14, 2022.
Photographer: Mark Felix/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Deep in Louisiana’s bayou country, 18 maroon canisters discharge clear, odorless methane into the air as hard-hatted engineers patrol wind gauges, solar panels and a laser surveillance system shooting beams at mirrors.
The experts and employees of Cheniere Energy Inc., the largest U.S. exporter of natural gas, are part of a high-stakes campaign to show Europe that as it abandons Russian gas, it can substitute the American variety without fear. Their job is to find the most efficient leak detecting system.