New Fortress Energy (NFE) announced it is coordinating the entry of the tanker Amur River into the port of San Juan on Sunday, subject to weather and operational conditions, to deliver a natural gas cargo for power generation. The company said Representative José "Cheito" Hernández Concepción, chair of the House of Representatives’ Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, promoted dialogue between the parties.
That effort led to communications among NFE, the Energy Bureau and the Oversight Board, in coordination with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA; AEE in Spanish), to clarify questions and move the delivery forward. In written statements, NFE said it welcomed Hernández’s recommendation to keep talking and that it is advancing the ship’s entry to restore the natural gas supply Puerto Rico needs.
The entry will follow conditions set by the federal court on October 1, which NFE accepted to avoid further delays. Under them, NFE took on the cost of two standby support tugboats when other vessels pass in front of its terminal, in addition to those used for the ship’s entry; the court ruled that this payment is not an admission by the company.
NFE formally asked the Energy Bureau for a technical meeting and clarification of its orders on payments under the supply contract. In its October 10 resolution, issued the same day, the Bureau clarified that its orders do not by themselves instruct withholding payment for delivered gas, and that any deduction, offset or withholding requires legal and contractual evaluation and procedures. NFE said it will keep working with the parties on pending matters.