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Cheniere’s Corpus Christi plant currently liquefies natural gas at three operational trains, each with a capacity of about 5 mtpa.
In June 2022, Cheniere made the final investment decision on the Corpus Christi Stage 3 expansion project, worth about $8 billion.
Compatriot Bechtel officially started construction on the project in October of the same year.
The project includes building seven midscale trains, each with an expected liquefaction capacity of about 1.49 mtpa.
Cheniere’s unit, Corpus Christi Liquefaction, said in the September construction report filed with the US FERC on Monday that the overall project completion rate for Stage 3 is 67.8 percent.
The project was 65.9 percent complete as of the end of August.
Stage 3 engineering and procurement are 95.7 percent and 85.2 percent complete, respectively, while subcontract and direct hire construction work are 87.2 percent and 32 percent complete, respectively.
During September, key work fronts included aboveground piping in Train 1 and outside boundary limits (OSBL), concrete pours in Trains 2 – 7, structural steel erection in Trains 2 – 5 and OSBL, underground piping installation in Trains 4 – 7 and OSBL, and equipment setting in Trains 1 – 7.
CCL said additional continued work includes road improvements, drainage work, and mobilization of temporary facilities, equipment, and personnel.
Moreover, Bechtel continued testing of aboveground piping at Train 1, continued installation of pipe spools, continued loop checks, and continued cable pulls for power and instrumentation.
During October, Bechtel will continue the same work on the first train.
First LNG production this year
Cheniere initially said that LNG deliveries from the expansion project were expected to begin in 2025 with full production in 2027.
However, Cheniere’s CEO Jack Fusco said in August last year that the company is expecting to complete the expansion phase ahead of schedule.
The company said in its second-quarter report that it expects to achieve first LNG production from the first train at the end of 2024.
Substantial completion of the project is expected during 1H 2025 – 2H 2026.
Last week, a spokesman for Cheniere told LNG Prime that the firm still expects to start producing LNG at its Corpus Christi expansion project in Texas this year.
“Together with Bechtel, we continue to advance our Corpus Christi Stage 3 project ahead of schedule and anticipate achieving first LNG from the first train of the project by the end of the year,” the spokesman said.
Cheniere’s unit CCL just received approval from the FERC to start in service of the terminal supply line associated with the Stage 3 project.
CCL requested authorization on August 12 to place the terminal supply line facilities in service “at the earliest time possible, but no later than August 16, 2024.”
In addition to this expansion, Cheniere plans to build two more liquefaction trains as part of the third expansion phase at the Corpus Christi plant.
Cheniere aims to take a final investment decision on this project in 2025.
Also, Cheniere aims to build two new liquefaction trains as part of the Sabine Pass Stage 5 expansion project to add up to 20 mtpa of capacity to the giant 30 mtpa facility.