The United States turned into a net natural gas exporter for a day after the first liquefied natural gas export from Cheniere Energy Inc’s Sabine Pass terminal in Louisiana left for Brazil on Wednesday.
The United States however is not expected to become a net exporter of gas on an annual basis until 2017 after more pipelines to Mexico and LNG export terminals enter service, according to federal energy estimates.
The United States was last a net exporter of gas on an annual basis in 1957.
On Wednesday, the United States imported a net 4.8 billion cubic feet of gas per day from Canada and 0.2 bcfd from various LNG import terminals for a total of about 5 bcfd in imports.
Exports however surpassed 6 bcfd on Wednesday, with about 3.3 bcfd going to Mexico and some 3 bcfd going to Brazil on the Asia Vision LNG tanker from Sabine Pass.
Since no LNG ships left Sabine Pass on Thursday, the United States returned to being a net importer that day.
Brazil Energy Insight 
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