In Texas, Riveria Maritime News reports Golden Pass LNG has filed to import a single liquefied natural gas shipment for cooldown purposes, a technical step signaling the Texas terminal may finally be ready to begin commissioning. The cargo, if approved, would arrive in October and be re-exported after chilling down the facility’s first liquefaction train.
The application comes after two years of construction upheaval. Former lead contractor Zachry Holdings filed for bankruptcy in 2024 following cost overruns of more than $2.4 billion, halting work and triggering mass layoffs. A February 2025 court ruling cleared Zachry to exit, leaving McDermott and Chiyoda to complete the remaining trains.
Commissioning was initially expected in early 2025. Current documents suggest first operations may now begin late this year, with Trains 2 and 3 following through 2026 and early 2027.
The facility, co-owned by QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil, will eventually supply 18 million tonnes of LNG per year. Unlike greenfield peers, Golden Pass began life as an import terminal and retains infrastructure that could allow it to shift between import and export more easily.
With a new US-EU LNG trade deal in place and DOE export approval extended to March 2027, Golden Pass is back in motion, just not on the timeline anyone first imagined.
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Category: Sustainable Marine Fuels
