By Marcy de Luna

HOUSTON (Reuters). A liquefied vessel that had been docked in Louisiana’s Calcasieu Pass Export Terminal since February, is now nearly full, according gas supply data. It will join a flow of U.S.-based LNG tankers headed to Europe.

Yiannis, a Greek-flagged vessel, is due to depart as LNG demand has soared and LNG prices have increased. A large fleet of U.S. LNG-carrying tankers has been arriving in Europe to alleviate the shortages caused by lower production levels and reduced pipeline flows.

The new plant has cranked up its processing, taking a high of nearly 500 million cubic feet of gas on Thursday, indicating “operations are running well,” according to Matt Murphy, an analyst at Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.

The vessel has taken in 6.9 Billion cubic feet of natural gas so far this month. Venture Global requested permission from U.S. Energy regulators to load the vessel on February 9, and it began loading just two days later according to Refinitiv Eikon.

Yiannis signals an arrival of the cargo in Dunkirk on March 1, France with approximately 153.900 cubic meters LNG.

Venture Global spokespeople declined to discuss the vessel’s loading and expected departure.

Energy traders reported that JERA Co. Japan’s largest power generator has chartered this vessel. It is also one of the top LNG buyers in the world. JERA declined to comment.

It has been 14 days since the last tanker was loaded. This is in addition to an average time of eight or nine days for loading first cargoes at LNG export terminals on Elba Island and Corpus Christi (Texas); and Cove Point (Maryland), David Seduski from Energy Aspects said.

“It’s not just the liquefaction trains that need to be tested during the commissioning process, all of the other systems are being used for the first time as well,” said Seduski.