May 13 (Reuters) - Venture Global ( VG ) forecast

higher-than-expected current-year core profit on Tuesday, on the

back of higher LNG demand and shipments from its projects.

Shares of Venture Global ( VG ), which became one of the most

valuable U.S. LNG companies when it listed in January, were up

3.8% at $10.29 in premarket trading.

The U.S. is the world's top exporter of LNG and commercial

activity in the sector has gained further momentum after

President Donald Trump lifted a moratorium on new export permits

in January.

While Venture lowered its current-year adjusted core profit

forecast to be between $6.4 billion and $6.8 billion from its

previous expectation of between $6.8 billion and $7.4 billion,

the midpoint was still above Wall Street expectations of $6.54

billion according to data compiled by LSEG.

Venture said changes in domestic and international natural

gas prices could impact its adjusted core profit forecast and

added the spread between domestic and international prices for

gas and LNG have compressed since last quarter.

The firm expects to export 145 to 150 cargos from the

Calcasieu project and 222 to 239 cargos from the Plaquemines

project this year. Its previous forecasts were 140 to 148 cargos

from the Calcasieu project and 219 to 239 cargos from the

Plaquemines project this year.

The company sold 228.3 trillion British Thermal Units (TBtu)

of LNG in the first quarter, a jump of 62% from a year earlier.

Combined with higher LNG sales prices, the company almost

doubled its core profit to $1.35 billion.