In this episode of the Let’s Clear the Air podcast, Kindra Snow-McGregor, a professional engineer with more than 28 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, joins Stuart Saulters and Kevin Broom to discuss the current and state and future of liquefied natural gas exports in the United States.
Snow-McGregor describes existing infrastructure, the scale of LNG projects needed to meet rising demand for US LNG, and challenges companies are facing in construction, market demand, and a saturated employment market in the Gulf Coast region.
She details LNG’s economic impact on US GDP, complexities of the energy industry, and the importance of LNG in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
About Kindra Snow-McGregor
Kindra Snow-McGregor is Technical Director of Oil and Gas Processing with PetroSkills | John M Campbell. She is a registered professional engineer, with master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Chemical Engineering and Petroleum Refining from the Colorado School of Mines.
She’s an active instructor and curriculum author for industry training, including oil and gas processing, and Advanced Operator Training for LNG facilities. She is responsible for the course content and quality of the PetroSkills | John M Campbell courses in the Oil and Gas Processing Discipline.
A respected oil and gas industry expert, Snow-McGregor has presented 11 technical papers at international conferences, published more than 27 technical papers, and holds two U.S. patents in the oil and gas industry.
She’s Chair of the GPSA Engineering Data Book Editorial Review Board, co-chair of the GPSA Advocacy Committee, and serves on the GPSA Board of Directors.
Takeaways
- LNG exports contribute $400 billion to the US GDP and 273,000 jobs to the US economy.
- The US is the world’s largest LNG exporter, a position it has held for seven years.
- LNG projects require large capital investments — approximately $1 billion per million tons per year.
- Labor costs in the U.S. Gulf Coast region have risen significantly, impacting project budgets.
- Tariffs have introduced uncertainty in construction budgets and have caused a need for companies to rebid some projects.
- The future of LNG exports is promising, but market risks remain.
- LNG plays a crucial role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions globally.
- The midstream industry needs to attract younger workers.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction to LNG and the Guests
- 07:42 Understanding LNG Infrastructure and Exports
- 12:14 The Scale of LNG Projects
- 16:37 Challenges in LNG Construction
- 18:53 Demand and Market Risks for LNG
- 33:22 Key Takeaways on LNG’s Impact
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