据烃加工在线7月13日消息称，美国能源情报署(EIA)报告称，阿根廷国内天然气产量在过去3年稳步上升，主要原因是纽昆盆地Vaca Muerta页岩和致密气产量的增加。

2018年12月，Vaca Muerta的日产量超过10亿立方英尺。随着产量的增加，阿根廷已恢复通过管道向邻国智利和巴西出口天然气，并已开始出口液化天然气。阿根廷第一批液化天然气出口货物于6月6日从近海Tango浮动液化装置(FLNG)运出。

阿根廷页岩气和致密气产量的增长，在一定程度上抵消了成熟油田天然气产量的下降。Vaca Muerta的天然气产量约占阿根廷天然气总产量的23%。Vaca Muerta页岩层技术上可开采资源为308万亿立方英尺天然气，860万英亩范围内可开采160亿桶石油和凝析油，其地质储量可与德克萨斯州南部的Eagle Ford页岩媲美。到目前为止，Vaca Muerta只有4%的土地进入了开发阶段。

在较温暖的月份（10月至4月），阿根廷的国内天然气产量超过消费量，但在寒冷的月份（5月至9月），产量不足以满足需求，这就要求阿根廷通过管道和液化天然气进口天然气。由于阿根廷没有地质上适宜的地层作为大型天然气储存设施，因此天然气生产商必须关闭剩余产量以适应季节性消费模式。阿根廷正在进行可行性研究，以确定潜在的天然气储存地点

从1990年到2007年，阿根廷是天然气的净出口国。从那时起，阿根廷通过管道(主要从玻利维亚)和液化天然气进口了更多的天然气。阿根廷使用浮动储存和再气化船（FSRU）进口LNG，该船停泊在布宜诺斯艾利斯附近的Escobar港口。

自2008年成为天然气净进口国以来，阿根廷全年通过管道和液化天然气进口天然气。在过去两年中，随着国内产量的增长，阿根廷仅在较冷的月份（3月至10月）进口液化天然气。阿根廷可能会在较冷的月份继续进口液化天然气，直到建设更多的管道基础设施，将不断增长的页岩气产量输送至主要需求中心。

阿根廷的季节性需求模式使其能够在亚洲主要液化天然气消费国进口更多液化天然气的几个月期间出口液化天然气。

Vaca Muerta的天然气通过现有的管道网络输送到Bahia Blanca港，在Tango FLNG液化。这些管道以前用于从停泊在巴伊亚布兰卡近海的FSRU运输进口液化天然气。

Tango FLNG的液化天然气产能为50万吨，预计每年可出口8批液化天然气货物。液化天然气出口的未来增长将需要对陆上液化设施和管道基础设施或使用更多的液化天然气生产浮动船进行更多投资。

曹海斌 摘译自 烃加工在线

原文如下：

LNG exports begin in Argentina

Argentina’s domestic natural gas production has been rising steadily in the past three years, largely because of increasing production from the Neuquén Basin’s Vaca Muerta shale and tight gas play, reports the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Production from Vaca Muerta surpassed 1 billion ft3/d in December 2018. As production has grown, Argentina has resumed exporting natural gas by pipeline to neighbouring Chile and Brazil and has started exporting LNG. Argentina’s first LNG export cargo was shipped on 6 June from the offshore Tango floating liquefaction unit (FLNG).

The growth in Argentina’s shale and tight gas production has partially offset declines in its natural gas production from mature fields. Production from Vaca Muerta accounts for about 23% of Argentina’s total gross natural gas production. The Vaca Muerta shale formation has technically recoverable resources of 308 trillion ft3 of natural gas and 16 billion bbl of oil and condensate within 8.6 million acres, and it is geologically comparable to the Eagle Ford shale play in southern Texas. Only 4% of Vaca Muerta’s acreage has entered the development phase so far.

Argentina’s domestic natural gas production exceeds consumption during warmer months (October through April), but production is insufficient to meet demand during colder months (May through September), which requires Argentina to import natural gas by both pipeline and as LNG. Because Argentina does not have geologically suitable formations to serve as large-scale natural gas storage facilities, natural gas producers have to shut in surplus production to accommodate seasonal consumption patterns. Argentina is conducting feasibility studies to identify potential natural gas storage sites.

From 1990 through 2007, Argentina was a net exporter of natural gas. Since then, Argentina has been importing more natural gas both by pipeline (mainly from Bolivia) and as LNG. Argentina imports LNG using a floating storage and regasification vessel (FSRU) moored at the Escobar port near Buenos Aires.

Since becoming a net natural gas importer in 2008, Argentina has imported natural gas by both pipeline and as LNG throughout the year. In the last two years, with the growth in domestic production, Argentina has been importing LNG only during cooler months (March through October). Argentina will likely continue importing LNG during cooler months until additional pipeline infrastructure is built to deliver growing shale production to major demand centres.

Argentina’s seasonal demand patterns allow it to export LNG during months when major LNG consuming countries in Asia are importing more LNG.

Natural gas from Vaca Muerta is transported by an existing pipeline network to the port of Bahía Blanca, where it is liquefied at Tango FLNG. These pipelines were previously used to transport imported LNG from an FSRU moored offshore at Bahía Blanca.

Tango FLNG has an LNG production capacity of 500 000 t and is expected to produce up to eight LNG-export cargoes per year. Future growth in LNG exports will require additional investments in onshore liquefaction facilities and pipeline infrastructure or the use of additional floating LNG-production vessels.