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“After minimal initial gas flows into the facility since last year July, over the President’s Day holiday weekend, nominations have ramped up to over 0.3 bcfd,” Eugene Kim, Wood Mackenzie’s research director, said on its LinkedIn account on Monday.
“With FERC approvals already received for Train 1, these levels are indicative of the first LNG being produced,” he said.
“At this rate, first LNG exports are expected around March 2026,” Kim said.
ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods recently said he expects the QatarEnergy-led Golden Pass LNG export project to produce first LNG volumes in early March this year.
He said that Train 1 achieved mechanical completion late in the last year.
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.
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 McDermott’s CB&I reached a deal with Golden Pass LNG to complete the construction of the first liquefaction train following the exit of Zachry.
Additionally, Chiyoda and McDermott signed a revised EPC contract with Golden Pass LNG in November 2025 to complete the construction of the second and third liquefaction units.