First LNG Tanker Arrives at Golden Pass Texas LNG Facility
The Al Qaiyyah tanker arrived at the Golden Pass plant on Monday for its first export cargo. The Texas facility recently began operations after several delays.
The Golden Pass LNG facility in the United States has achieved a significant operational milestone with the arrival of its first tanker to collect an inaugural export of Natural Gas. The Al Qaiyyah LNG carrier, owned by Qatar through QatarEnergy, docked at the Texas terminal on Monday following the start of production earlier this year. This arrival follows years of construction delays and cost overruns for the multi-billion dollar project.
The Golden Pass project is a joint venture between QatarEnergy, which holds a 70% stake, and EXXON MOBIL CORP, which holds the remaining 30%. Since construction began in 2019, the development has faced significant hurdles, including the bankruptcy of its original lead contractor. Despite these challenges, the company confirmed it had successfully produced its first liquefied gas on March 30.
\"Golden Pass looks forward to sending off our first cargo, bringing Texas energy to power the world.\"
The inaugural cargo is expected to be delivered to Italy. On Monday, the facility was projected to process 400 million cubic feet of gas, which is half of the 800 million cubic feet per day capacity of the first of its three planned export trains. The remaining two processing units are currently under construction to further expand the site's total output.
Train 1 has a total capacity of 6 million metric tons per annum (mtpa). Under the current equity agreement, QatarEnergy will receive approximately 4 mtpa, while Exxon Mobil is allocated just under 2 mtpa. Ship-tracking data also shows that the Exxon-chartered carrier HL Sea Eagle is currently in the Gulf of Mexico and appears to be heading toward the facility, signaling a potential second shipment in the near future.
