TotalEnergies has shipped the first liquefied natural gas cargo from the Energia Costa Azul (ECA) LNG Phase 1 export terminal on Mexico’s Pacific coast, marking a major milestone as the facility moves through commissioning toward commercial operations. <\/p>\n
The French energy major, which owns a 16.6% stake in the project alongside operator Sempra Infrastructure, will be the exclusive LNG offtaker during the terminal’s ramp-up period. Under a long-term agreement, TotalEnergies will purchase 1.7 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of LNG from the project for 20 years once commercial operations begin. <\/p>\n
Located in Baja California, ECA LNG Phase 1 features a single liquefaction train with a nameplate capacity of 3.25 Mtpa. The facility is supplied with U.S. natural gas from the Permian Basin via cross-border pipeline infrastructure and is designed to capitalize on an existing regasification terminal at the site, reducing construction costs. A larger second expansion phase is also under development. <\/p>\n
The project’s location on Mexico’s Pacific coast gives it a strategic advantage over U.S. Gulf Coast export terminals by providing a shorter shipping route to Asian buyers, cutting voyage times and transportation costs. <\/p>\n
TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyann\u00e9 said the start-up strengthens the company’s integrated North American LNG portfolio and improves access to Asian markets. Sempra Infrastructure CEO Justin Bird said the first cargo establishes a new source of North American LNG supply for global customers at a time of heightened uncertainty in LNG markets. <\/p>\n
The project is expected to reach substantial completion during the summer of 2026, with commercial operations and long-term sales agreements taking effect shortly afterward. <\/p>\n
The first cargo represents another step in expanding North America’s LNG export capacity beyond the U.S. Gulf Coast. ECA LNG is one of the few Pacific Coast export terminals capable of shipping U.S.-sourced natural gas directly to Asia without transiting the Panama Canal, an increasingly valuable advantage amid growing LNG demand across the Asia-Pacific region and periodic congestion affecting traditional shipping routes. <\/p>\n
For TotalEnergies, the milestone further expands its global LNG portfolio, which totaled approximately 44 Mtpa in 2025, reinforcing its strategy of growing its integrated gas business as natural gas becomes a larger share of its energy mix. <\/p>\n
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com <\/p>\n
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