SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- The Energy Department on Friday said it approved Freeport LNG Expansion LP and FLNG Liquefaction LCC to export domestic liquefied natural gas to countries without a free trade agreement with the U.S. A host of companies have permission to export LNG to countries with FTAs, but Freeport joins Cheniere Energy Inc.'s Sabine Pass project as being able to do so to non-FTA countries -- which include some of the largest LNG importers in Asia and Europe. Freeport's facility is still subject to an environmental review and final approval, but it has been authorized to export up to 1.4 billion cubic feet of natural gas a day for the next 20 years. Sabine Pass is authorized to export 2.2 bcf a day. LNG export plants face several regulatory hurdles, and have encountered stiff opposition in the U.S. from manufacturers that say domestic natural-gas prices could skyrocket with the exports.