Woodside: first Louisiana LNG train more than 22 percent complete

Woodside said in a statement on Monday that it celebrated the “rapid progress” in developing the Louisiana LNG project at a groundbreaking ceremony attended by leaders from the local community and state and federal governments.

Since announcing a final investment decision (FID) on the project in April 2025, the construction workforce has ramped up to almost 900 personnel, with work on the first of three LNG trains now more than 22 percent complete, the company said.

The project, based in south-west Louisiana, is targeting first LNG production in 2029 from a three-train foundation development with capacity of 16.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa).

Moreover, Woodside noted that the project has expansion capacity for two additional LNG trains and is fully permitted for a total capacity of 27.6 mtpa.

Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill told attendees at the ceremony that the project is a “game-changer for Woodside, marking our biggest-ever investment in the US and representing the largest foreign direct investment in Louisiana’s history.”

“Louisiana LNG will be a significant contributor to US LNG exports, supporting the nation’s role as a leading energy supplier to the world. It is expected to support tens of thousands of high-quality jobs in the US, strengthen global energy security and generate billions of dollars in local and national revenues, delivering long-term benefits to the communities where we operate,” she said.

Talks with partners

In June, Woodside completed the previously announced sell-down of a 40 percent stake in its Louisiana LNG project to US private equity firm Stonepeak.

In addition to Stonepeak, Woodside also signed a non-binding collaboration agreement with Saudi Arabia’s energy behemoth Aramco to explore global opportunities.

This includes Aramco’s potential acquisition of an equity interest in and LNG offtake from the Louisiana LNG project.

Woodside said it is continuing discussions with potential “high-quality partners” interested in acquiring equity in the project holding company Louisiana LNG.

Louisiana LNG president Sarah Bairstow said she was “pleased with the speed at which the project was progressing.”

“Construction activity under our contractor Bechtel is proceeding at pace. The facility is being constructed piece-by-piece in the US, meaning approximately 85 percent of the construction spend is local. At the same time, we continue to actively market US LNG in Europe and Asia, targeting delivery from 2029 onwards,” she said.