Energy giants QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil are expecting to start LNG production at their Golden Pass LNG export terminal on the US Gulf Coast near Sabine Pass, Texas, in the first half of 2025.
State-owned QatarEnergy owns a 70 percent stake in the 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 is building the tree Golden Pass trains worth about $10 billion next to the existing LNG import terminal.
The US FERC said in an inspection report in April this year that the anticipated in-service timing for the first Golden Pass train was the first quarter of 2024, the third quarter of 2024 for the second train, and the first quarter of 2025 for the third train.
However, the regulator revealed in an inspection report in June that the anticipated in-service timing for the first train was the second half of 2024, with the second and the third train following after.
ExxonMobil’s senior VP and CFO, Kathryn Mikellss, said on Wednesday during a webcast discussing the company’s corporate plan that “train 1 mechanical completion is expected at the end of 2024 with first LNG in first half of 2025.”
Moreover, Mikellss said this project is a “capital-efficient conversion of an import terminal” and offers “supply source optionality for our customers and provides global logistics optimization and competitive costs for us and our partner, QatarEnergy.”
ExxonMobil’s LNG expansion
Mikellss said that ExxonMobil expects to grow its LNG supply to about 27 million tonnes per year by 2027.
Last year, ExxonMobil also joined QatarEnergy’s massive LNG expansion project, North Field East, which will boost Qatar’s LNG export capacity by 32 mtpa.
ExxonMobil will have a 6.25 percent stake in the project which is expected to start up in 2026.
Besides this move, ExxonMobil is working with its partners to develop the Papua LNG project in Papua New Guinea.
Mikellss said that the partners progressed front-end engineering and development work this year.
Also, she said that the project is targeting 6 mtpa of gross LNG liquefaction capacity, with FID expected in the first half of 2024.
“Finally, in Mozambique, we continue to work with our partners and the government to
optimize the onshore LNG plans for Rovuma to develop the 85-trillion-cubic-feet of gas
resource,” she said.
“We’re working to ensure the right conditions are met for full funding, including a
sustainable and secure operating environment and a design that will achieve long-term project competitiveness,” Mikellss said.