Houston-based Eagle LNG Partners recently announced that it submitted its draft Resource Report 13 to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for its proposed LNG project in Jacksonville, Fla. The filing is part of the FERC pre-filing process.

With the submittal of all 13 resource reports, Eagle LNG moves closer to submitting its formal application with FERC under which FERC can authorize the siting and construction of onshore and near-shore LNG import or export facilities under Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act. Eagle LNG anticipates filing its formal application with FERC prior to the end of the year.

With this submission, the Jacksonville LNG project moves closer to receiving the necessary permits and approvals to commence construction and operation of the planned 1-million-ton-per-year LNG facility.

“This submission demonstrates our commitment to and the viability of this project and significantly advances our position in the FERC process,” Eagle LNG CEO Dick Brown was quoted as saying.

“We are pleased that the project continues to gain momentum while simultaneously receiving tremendous support from the city of Jacksonville and north Florida region. We continue to work with interested clients and stakeholders to move toward start-up and commissioning in 2019,” Brown said.

Eagle LNG has engaged CH-IV International, a whole subsidiary of Clough, as its owner’s engineer to help prepare the detailed draft Resource Report.

The Jacksonville facility will service domestic applications and nearby small-scale export markets, according to the company.

“Eagle LNG is optimistic about the potential for natural gas to displace heavy fuel oil and diesel. This is a key milestone that Eagle LNG has achieved on schedule,” Brown noted.

FERC and relevant government agencies will continue reviewing the draft reports and provide feedback to Eagle LNG. Upon FERC review of all 13 Resource Reports, and Eagle LNG addressing any concerns identified by FERC, Eagle LNG anticipates that FERC will grant filing status in 2017.

Bryan Sims can be reached at bsims@hartenergy.com and @bsimshart.