Venture Global LNG’s Calcasieu Pass export project in Louisiana continues to progress towards first LNG production, which could occur by the end of this year.
The project has received approvals to introduce fuel gas to the first and second gas turbine generator, as well as to supply liquid nitrogen to the air separation unit, US FERC said in several recent fillings.
This means the project had started commissioning activities and one of the next major steps would be to introduce feed gas to the liquefaction units.
A report by Platts also said that Venture Global LNG’s chief commercial officer Tom Earl revealed last week during the Gastech conference in Dubai the project would begin production “within months.”
The Calcasieu Pass project will produce about 10 mtpa of LNG from 18 modular units configured in 9 blocks.
Venture Global gets Calcasieu Pass modular trains from Baker Hughes’ manufacturing facility in Italy.
The firm also said in a filing to FERC in March that it could start first exports from the LNG facility by the end of this year, with full operations planned in mid-2022.
Some reports also suggested the firm had issued a tender for cargoes from Calcasieu Pass for delivery starting later this year.
Once operational, the Calcasieu Pass project would become the seventh large LNG export facility in the US.
Besides this project, Venture Global recently said it had started works to prepare the construction site for its planned Plaquemines LNG project in Louisiana.
Plaquemines LNG would deploy Venture Global’s liquefaction trains 19 through 36, identical to the 18 trains currently being delivered and installed at Calcasieu Pass.