Energy, Gas, Legislation, Lithuania, USA

Photo: enmin.lt

An agreement with another energy company should be also reached this week.

Lithuania is seeking to take up better positions among potentials buyers before the US starts exporting LNG. Delfin LNG liquefaction terminal is expected to become operational in 2019.

Minister of Energy Rokas Masiulis, who met with representatives of Delfin LNG and other energy companies emphasised the importance of export of LNG and other energy resources.

"Now it is being discussed if the US should provide Ukraine with weapons. However the decision to supply energy resources may equally as important. If the US starts exporting energy resources to other countries, this would take away Russia's main weapon used actively at the moment – energy blackmail. The US energy sector is operating very efficiently, thus it has competitive advantage over exporters who use energy as a tool of political pressure. The latter do not operate as efficiently," said Masiulis.

On Thursday, Masiulis delivered a lecture on energy security at the University of Houston. The minister introduced Lithuania's experience when an LNG terminal was built and LNG import helped increase energy security. The minister also met with scientists from the University of Houston and discussed cooperation opportunities in the area of LNG research. Such cooperation would be a step towards establishing an LNG centre of excellence in Lithuania.

On the same day the energy minister met with heads of Exxon Mobil, the biggest US petroleum and gas company. They were introduced to Lithuania's plans on the development of the LNG market and shale gas exploration.