The current wave of US LNG export investments that began in 2025 is poised to continue in the coming months, with another 17.9mn metric tonnes (t)/yr (2.4bn ft³/d) of capacity close to construction.
Federal filings made available this week show three projects racing to final investment decisions (FIDs) by the end of June and detail the start-up timelines for projects that are already under construction. The US Department of Energy (DOE) requires companies with authorization to export LNG to file written reports semiannually in April and October describing the projects' progress.
Caturus' 9.5mn t/yr Commonwealth LNG terminal in southwest Louisiana, Glenfarne's 4mn t/yr Texas LNG terminal in south Texas and Delfin's 4.4mn t/yr floating LNG export terminal off the coast of Louisiana anticipate FIDs in the second quarter. Those would follow the 7.8mn t/yr second phase of the 28mn t/yr CP2 facility in southwest Louisiana. LNG producer Venture Global greenlit that project in March. This year's planned FIDs come after project developers began construction on 67.3mn t/yr of capacity in 2025.
Commonwealth, Texas LNG, and Delfin plan to begin exports in 2029-31 (see pre-FID table). The next potential projects in the queue are Cheniere's 20mn t/yr stage 5 expansion at the 33mn t/yr Sabine Pass facility in southwest Louisiana and Venture Global's proposed 31mn t/yr expansion at its 27.2mn t/yr Plaquemines terminal in southeast Louisiana. Both companies plan to develop those projects in phases, with the initial phases targeted for FIDs in early 2027. Cheniere plans the first phase to add 7mn t/yr, with a 6mn t/yr train and 1mn t/yr from a boil-off reliquefaction unit. Venture Global has not detailed how it would phase its Plaquemines expansion.
QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil's 18.1mn t/yr Golden Pass LNG terminal is continuing to ramp up after producing its first LNG on 30 March, though the terminal is yet to export a cargo. The three-train facility is expected to bring each unit on line in six-month increments. The other project adding production this year is Cheniere's 11.5mn t/yr stage 3 expansion at Corpus Christi LNG. That expansion has added about 8.2mn t/yr of production since late 2024, with the final 3.3mn t/yr expected on line by autumn.
NextDecade and Sempra plan to bring new capacity on line in 2027 (see post-FID table). NextDecade's 30.2mn t/yr Rio Grande LNG terminal in south Texas is expected to begin exports in September 2027, according to its semiannual DOE filing, with each of the facility's five trains adding production through 2031. The first train of Sempra's 27mn t/yr Port Arthur LNG also is anticipated to begin exports next year.
| Select pre-FID projects | mn t/yr | ||
| Terminal | Capacity (mn t/yr) | FID target | First exports |
| Commonwealth | 9.5 | 2Q 2026 | 2029-30 |
| Texas LNG | 4.0 | 2Q 2026 | 2,030.0 |
| Delfin FLNG 1 | 4.4 | 2Q 2026 | 2030-31 |
| Sabine Pass stage 5* | 20.0 | 1Q 2027 | 2030-31 |
| Plaquemines expansion* | 31.0 | 1Q 2027 | 2028-29** |
| Corpus Christi stage 4* | 24.0 | 3Q 2027 | 2032** |
| Total | 92.9 | ||
| *phased construction; **estimate for first phase's production based on FID target | |||
| Post-FID projects under construction | mn t/yr | |
| Terminal | Capacity (mn t/yr) | First exports |
| Golden Pass, T1 | 6.0 | 1H 2026 |
| Golden Pass, T2 | 6.0 | 2H 2026/1H 2027 |
| Golden Pass, T3 | 6.0 | Mid-2027 |
| Corpus Christi midscale trains 6-7 | 3.3 | Mid-2026 |
| Corpus Christi midscale trains 7-8 | 5.0 | 2H 2028 |
| Rio Grande, T1 | 6.0 | 3Q 2027 |
| Rio Grande, T2 | 6.0 | 2Q 2028 |
| Rio Grande, T3 | 6.0 | 4Q 2028/1Q 2029 |
| Rio Grande, T4 | 6.0 | 2Q 2030 |
| Rio Grande, T5 | 6.0 | 1Q 2031 |
| CP2, phase 1 | 20.2 | 2,027.0 |
| CP2, phase 2 | 7.8 | 2,028.0 |
| Port Arthur, T1 | 6.8 | 2,027.0 |
| Port Arthur, T2 | 6.8 | 2,028.0 |
| Port Arthur, T3 | 6.8 | 2,030.0 |
| Port Arthur, T4 | 6.8 | 2,031.0 |
| Louisiana LNG, T1 | 5.5 | 2,029.0 |
| Louisiana LNG, T2 | 5.5 | 2,030.0 |
| Louisiana LNG, T3 | 5.5 | 2,031.0 |
| Total | 128.0 | |
| — regulatory filings, company statements | ||
