U.S. Department of Energy said May 28 it has authorized additional exports of domestically-produced natural gas from the Freeport LNG project on Quintana Island south of Houston. The DOE order said Freeport LNG can export the equivalent of 262.8 bcfd of gas from the terminal’s proposed Train 4 to countries not having a free trade agreement with U.S. and where U.S. laws or policies do not prohibit trade. U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently approved the application to site, construct and operate the fourth Freeport LNG train. The first Freeport liquefaction train is expected to begin commercial exports later this year. The Houston Chronicle called the DOE order “an important step needed for the company to sell into Asian markets where demand for LNG is expected to grow.” Freeport LNG told the Chronicle that after all four plants are complete, it will be the fifth largest LNG producer in the world.