A liquefied natural gas port 10 miles southeast of Gloucester Harbor is now operational.
An LNG tanker from Trinidad delivered the first cargo of natural gas Saturday morning, about five months after crews finished constructing the port and pipeline.
Residents won't notice a difference — the port isn't even visible from the shore — but Texas-based Excelerate Energy said it hopes it will help meet growing demand for natural gas in New England.
The 24-inch underwater pipeline runs about 16 miles and connects to another pipeline running from Salem to the South Shore. The pipeline is capable of delivering 20 percent of New England's natural gas usage, the company said.
The tanker from Trinidad is unloading 1 billion cubic feet of gas to test all port and pipeline systems. The company couldn't say how long the tanker will be in port, citing security reasons.
"It'll be a few days, but I can't say much beyond that," company spokesman Doug Pizzi said.
It's also not clear how frequently tankers will be arriving at the port.
"The company wants this to be an active, useful port, but we can't really say when the next shipment is coming," Pizzi said. "It really depends on the market."
All that's visible above the water is a mooring marker about the size of a beach ball. When a tanker arrives, the docking facility rises to the ocean surface.
Because the New England market sits at the end of gas pipelines from Canada and the Gulf of Mexico, the new port serves as a much-needed additional gas source, company executives have said.
Chris Cassidy may be contacted at ccassidy@gloucestertimes.com.
