Woodside Contracts 900 Construction Workers to Complete Louisiana LNG Terminal by 2029

Woodside Energy is one-fifth of the way to completing its first liquified natural gas train in the $17.5 billion Louisiana LNG terminal project.

Work on the first of three planned trains is fully underway with some 900 construction personnel on site. Once completed by 2029, Woodside hopes to move some 16.5 million metric tons of LNG for export every year, with the potential to expand production to 27 million tons per year.

Louisiana LNG is the latest project under construction or operation to export LNG from U.S. production to global customers. The U.S. is now the world’s largest exporter of LNG.

“The project is a game-changer for Woodside, marking our biggest-ever investment in the US and representing the largest foreign direct investment in Louisiana’s history,” Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill said in a statement. “It positions Woodside as a global LNG powerhouse and will deliver enduring returns to shareholders.”

U.S. natural gas production has ramped up to historical levels thanks to shale play drilling over past few decades. Gross withdrawals of produced gas average between three and four trillion cubic feet per month, according to federal Energy Information Administration statistics.

Liquifying natural gas is achieved by chilling it to minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 162 Celsius) which makes it stable for shipping. The LNG is transported to customers who then regasify it for commercial uses such as power generation and industrial or petrochemical purposes.

Woodside completed the sell-down of a 40% interest in Louisiana LNG Infrastructure LLC to New York-based investment firm Stonepeak in June. The company is continuing discussions with potential high-quality partners interested in acquiring equity in the project holding company Louisiana LNG LLC.