U.S. energy player Cheniere Energy has reached substantial completion at the third stage of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Texas and exported its 5,000th LNG cargo, marking a major expansion of its U.S. liquefaction capacity and a decade of rapid growth in the global LNG market.
Corpus Christi LNG Stage 3; Source: Cheniere
The Stage 3 project milestone at its Corpus Christi Liquefaction (CCL) facility in Texas was achieved on August 28, 2026, when Bechtel Corporation, the firm’s engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor, turned over care, custody and control of Train 7 to Cheniere. Bechtel got the full notice to proceed on CCL Stage 3 in June 2022, with LNG production from the first train achieved in December 2024.
According to the company, CCL Stage 3 increases LNG production capacity at CCL by more than 10 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to more than 25 mtpa, raising the firm’s overall production capacity by over 20% to approximately 56 mtpa across its two U.S. Gulf Coast liquefaction facilities. The project was completed safely, on budget, and ahead of schedule.
In addition, Cheniere confirmed the production and export of its 5,000th LNG cargo from its U.S. Gulf Coast operations. The U.S. player emphasizes that it reached this milestone faster than any other LNG producer worldwide.
Jack Fusco, Cheniere’s Chairman, President and CEO, commented: “With the substantial completion of CCL Stage 3, Cheniere and Bechtel have again delivered a major LNG project safely, on budget and ahead of schedule, solidifying our track record of excellence in project execution.
“Congratulations to the Cheniere and Bechtel teams on the outstanding delivery of this project. This achievement enables us to increase our supply of much-needed secure, reliable and affordable energy to the world at a critical time, while delivering on our commitments to our customers and creating long-term value for our stakeholders.”
Cheniere celebrated its 5,000th LNG cargo with the loading of the Yari LNG carrier, which departed Sabine Pass on August 29 en route to Asia. Since the production of its first LNG cargo in 2016, the firm has supplied more than 340 million tonnes of LNG to markets worldwide, and its LNG platform has grown to represent over 10% of total global LNG capacity.
Fusco added: “Producing and exporting 5,000 LNG cargoes is a remarkable achievement, and doing so in record time – just 10 years after our first cargo – makes it even more extraordinary.
“This accomplishment was made possible by the hard work, dedication and commitment of our workforce, which forms the foundation of our industry-leading track record of operational excellence, safety and customer focus.”
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