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State-owned QatarEnergy owns a 70 percent stake in the three-train Golden Pass project with a capacity of more than 18 mtpa and will offtake 70 percent of the capacity, while US energy firm ExxonMobil has a 30 percent share.
Asked about the start-up of the Golden Pass LNG project during ExxonMobil’s first-quarter earnings call on May 2, Woods said that the project “continues to be progressing at the pace that we had anticipated.”
“We look to have first LNG by the end of this year, potentially slipping into early next year,” he said.
“But right now we think we’re going to deliver at the back end of this year,” Woods said.
Woods said in August 2024 that the JV expects to start LNG production at the first Golden Pass LNG train in the second half of 2025, “a 6-month slippage” from the previous estimate.
After that, in November 2024, he said that the launch could be postponed until 2026.
A joint venture of Chiyoda, McDermott, and Zachry won the EPC contract to build the three Golden Pass trains worth about $10 billion next to the existing LNG import terminal in the vicinity of Sabine Pass, Texas.
However, Zachry Holdings said in May 2024 that it had filed for bankruptcy, initiating a structured exit from the Golden Pass LNG export project due to “financial challenges” related to the facility’s construction.
In November 2024, Japan’s Chiyoda and US-based CB&I reached a deal with Golden Pass LNG to complete the construction of the first liquefaction following the exit of Zachry.
Commissioning
Golden Pass LNG recently received a new approval from the US FERC as it continues to move forward with the commissioning work at its giant LNG export facility.
According to a FERC filing dated April 28, the regulator granted Golden Pass LNG permission to commission the LNG systems.
FERC approved Golden Pass LNG’s request to commission the boil-off gas compression system, LNG storage, liquefaction system, LNG pumps, and the end flash gas compression system.
In March, Golden Pass LNG secured an extension from the US DOE.
DOE approved the Golden Pass request from August last year, extending the deadline for commencement of commercial LNG export operations from the Golden Pass LNG terminal by 18 months to March 31, 2027.
Boosting workforce
Golden Pass LNG is also seeking approval from FERC to increase peak workforce up to 10,300.
In July 2022, FERC approved a variance request which included an increase in peak workforce of 7,700 personnel.
After that, FERC confirmed in February 2023 that a temporary increase of the daytime workforce of up to 9,200 personnel was acceptable.
Golden Pass LNG told FERC in a letter dated May 5 that it has evaluated its plan for continued execution at the terminal and has determined that an increase in the peak workforce up to 10,300 (8,300 day shift, 2,000 night shift) is needed to “timely and safely complete construction, commissioning, and start-up activities in Trains 1, 2, and 3 until the GPLNG terminal is fully operational.”
Golden Pass is requesting authorization to begin the work covered in this variance request by May 30, 2025.