Ratnagiri (Maharashtra), Mar 30 (IANS): The first shipment of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Cheniere Energy Inc., Louisiana reached GAIL (India) Ltd's Dabhol Terminal here on Maharashtra's Konkan coast on Friday, an official said.

The shipment is part of the two 20-year LNG supply agreements worth around $32 billion for US LNG Exports, signed by GAIL with the Dominion Energy Cove Point project in Maryland and the Cheniere Energy Inc.'s Sabine Pass Project in Louisiana.

The first of the shipments under the agreement was received from Cheniere Energy Inc., at Dabhol, in the presence of US Minister Counsellor for Commercial Affairs Patrick Santillo, US Consul-General to Kolkata Craig Hall and Union Minister for Petroleum Dharmendra Pradhan.

"The US continues to partner with India across the broad range of energy collaboration, whether through traditional energy sources like oil - the first crude oil shipment from US to India arrived in October 2017 in Odisha - or LNG or others like coal and renewables," said Santillo on the occasion.

He said US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster has remarked that the US is uniquely positioned to offer India a comprehensive energy partnership and energy exports are emerging as a promising means of addressing the bilateral trade deficit while simultaneously promoting India's energy security.

Friday's LNG shipment is expected to set the stage for the upcoming visit by US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry for the upcoming US-India Strategic Partnership meeting scheduled next month (April), said Santillo.

Under the leadership of President Donald Trump, the US administration continues to work to promote free, fair and reciprocal trade with all its trading partners including India, he said.

The bilateral trade between the US and India shot up by $11 billion in 2017 to touch $125.6 billion now, Santillo added.