(by Paul Vivian and Rick Preckel, www.prestonpipe.com) Market Monitor – The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council announced on December 11th, that it has completed all federal approvals for the Alaska LNG project including construction of the approximately 800 mile, 3.5 bcf/d pipeline from the North Slope to an LNG export terminal in South Central Alaska. The pipeline will provide natural gas for LNG export and for domestic use. The NOAA Fisheries permit renewal, issued December 10th, marked the final authorization required under the federal FAST- 41 process. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) served as the lead agency for the review, coordinating efforts under the FAST-41 permitting framework. With federal permitting now complete, Alaska LNG moves closer to a potential final investment decision and construction start. On that same topic, the Pipeline and Gas Journal reported that the Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) is concerned that the steel pipe for the 800-mile, 42” line could be fabricated in South Korea. The claim stems from a recently announced partnership with Glenfarne Energy Transition and POSCO. The CPA contends that the use of Korean fabricated large-diameter welded pipe contradicts the intent of the Trump administration’s 50% steel tariff, citing weaknesses in the ad valorem tariff structure that could allow tariff evasion through foreign declarations. As reported by CPA, the group is urging the administration to convert ad valorem duties on fabricated steel and aluminum into specific tariffs based on weight or count a move it says would close loopholes that encourage offshore manufacturing. Import Supply – September import data was released on December 11th and totaled 93,112 tons. October licenses published last month represented 63,403 tons. November licenses ended the month at 128,904 tons which was, as we expected, well below the linear projection of 210,000 tons for the month. December licenses through the 15th represented about 55,000 tons suggesting a full month of 110,000 tons. Again, this will likely prove too high due to the month end holidays. The date for the release of October import data is yet to be announced.
Preston Pipe Report – December 2025
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