What Caused an Explosion at a Texas Energy Plant?
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A Russian Connection?
Tom Rogan of the Washington Examiner might — with an emphasis on might — have one of the biggest scoops of the year: a possible link between Russian military intelligence and an explosion at a liquefied-natural-gas (LNG) plant and export terminal on Quintana Island, near Houston, on June 8.
Rogan writes: “According to two sources, around the time of Russia’s late February invasion of Ukraine, a cyber unit of Russia’s GRU military intelligence service again conducted targeting-reconnaissance operations against a major U.S. liquefied natural gas exporter, Freeport LNG. U.S. LNG exports have long been a priority concern for Russia, viewed by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a means for the United States to undercut Russia’s domination of the European gas market.”
The explosion was serious enough to shut down Freeport LNG’s operations completely for three months and will partially disrupt operations for the rest of the year. Freeport LNG is one of seven LNG export facilities currently operating in the U.S., handling about 17 percent of all U.S. LNG processing. According to CNN, about 80 percent of the plant’s exports went to Europe.
