The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) granted Pieridae Energy (USA) Ltd. long-term, multicontract authorization to export natural gas to Canada, and to export LNG from that gas to Free Trade Agreement (FTA)countries, Pieridae said May 26. Pieridae Energy (USA) is a subsidiary of Pieridae (Canada) Ltd.

Pieridae Energy (USA) had applied to export up to 292 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas per year through the Maritimes Northeast U.S. and Canada pipelines.

The DOE authorization was granted May 22.

Pieridae will purchase the natural gas exported to Canada, and will process it at the proposed Goldboro LNG liquefaction facility in Goldboro, Nova Scotia. The LNG will be shipped to FTA countries.

In June 2013, Pieridae entered into a 20-year sales agreement with Europe-based E.ON Global Commodities SE, a subsidiary of one of the world's largest investor-owned power and gas companies, to deliver about 5 million metric tonnes per year of Goldboro facility LNG.

Pieridae's application to the Canadian National Energy Board to import natural gas from the U.S., and to export the resulting LNG from Canada, is pending.

"We're pleased to have achieved this important milestone for the Goldboro LNG project. It's a significant step forward in the final investment decision process," said Alfred Sorensen, president and CEO of Pieridae. "We look forward to continuing to work with the Department of Energy and the LNG community in the United States."

Pieridae Energy (Canada) Ltd. is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.