LSEG data indicates that Freeport LNG will resume service in Texas after a lightning strike.

Data from the financial firm LSEG revealed that natural gas flows at Freeport LNG's Texas export plant were expected to increase on Tuesday, after a lighting strike on a pipe caused it to close on Monday.

Freeport is one the most closely monitored LNG export plants around the world, as the start and end of its operations can cause large price swings on global gas markets.

Gas prices in the U.S. typically drop when flows to Freeport decrease due to the lower demand from the export plant for the fuel. Prices in Europe tend to increase because of a reduction in LNG supplies to global markets.

Gas prices in the United States rose on Monday.

LSEG stated that the amount of gas flowing into Freeport is on track to increase to 1.7 billion cubic foot per day (bcfd), up from 0.1 bcfd Monday. This compares to an average of 2.0 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) during the previous seven days (February 17, 23).

Freeport stated in a Monday afternoon filing to Texas environmental regulators that it had shut down the three liquefaction train at the plant "due an interruption of feed-gas supply from the (pretreatment facility) upstream."

Freeport has not commented on the cause of the feedgas interruption. However, Boardwalk Pipelines Gulf South Pipeline, which supplies gas to the plant told its customers on Monday it was unable to deliver gas due to a lightning strike.

Three liquefaction plants at Freeport can convert about 2.1 billion cubic feet per day of gas to LNG.

A billion cubic feet of natural gas can supply 5 million U.S. households for one day. (Reporting and editing by Louise Heavens, Scott DiSavino)

(source: Reuters)