Golden Pass LNG Train 1 Completes Construction and Begins Operations in Texas
Engineering, procurement and construction partners McDermott and Chiyoda International Corp. have completed work and commissioning on the latest liquified natural gas (LNG) liquefaction and export train along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coastline.
McDermott and Chiyoda teamed up in an EPC joint venture to build Train 1 of the Golden Pass LNG project in Sabine Pass, Texas. The U.S. is the global leader in LNG export capacity, and Golden Pass LNG Train 1 will be the first in a three-train terminal expected to move about 18 million metric tons of LNG to foreign customers per year.
The first production is underway and will begin shipping in the second quarter. Golden Pass LNG is a joint venture of Exxon and QatarEnergy.
"This is a defining moment for the Golden Pass LNG Project and a significant achievement for McDermott, our partner Chiyoda and Golden Pass LNG," said Michael McKelvy, CEO and chairman for McDermott, in a statement. "Reaching first LNG demonstrates the strength of our execution capabilities, the resilience of our teams and our ability to safely deliver complex LNG infrastructure that supports global energy needs."
McDermott and Chiyoda are now working on Trains 2 and 3. Once completed, Golden Pass is designed to hold 155,000 cubic meters of LNG storage tanks and three berths to accommodate export carriers.
The U.S. is producing nearly record volumes of natural gas from shale plays and hydraulic fracturing. LNG is natural gas pipelined to the terminals, chilled to minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit to liquefy it and make it stable for shipping.
U.S. LNG companies are now exporting more than 530 billion cubic feet per day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.