Golden Pass LNG, a joint venture between QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil, has achieved its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) production from the initial of three planned trains at its Sabine Pass, Texas site, according to a March 30 announcement by QatarEnergy.
The achievement marks a significant step for what is described as one of the largest single investment decisions in United States LNG history. The milestone is expected to help Golden Pass LNG deliver its first cargo soon and meet both commercial and strategic objectives.
His Excellency Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs and President and CEO of QatarEnergy, said: “First LNG is of a particular importance for one of the largest single investment decisions in U.S. LNG history. The operational phase and market entry of Golden Pass LNG will come at an important time when global energy security ranks very high on energy agendas worldwide. We look forward to the safe and successful start of export operations.”
Al-Kaabi also said: “Golden Pass LNG is part of a wider QatarEnergy strategy for international investments that we have been planning over the past decade. It also represents a significant part of the plans announced by QatarEnergy in 2018 to invest 20 billion dollars in the U.S. energy sector. We are now seeing the first fruits of this far-sighted strategy with the start of Golden Pass LNG, which will play an important role in supporting global energy security and a fair and balanced access to cleaner energy.”
He concluded his remarks by saying: “I would like to thank the U.S. regulators for their effective cooperation, which has helped lead to this moment. I also would like to thank our strategic partner, ExxonMobil, with whom we continue to work closely to implement this and other projects around the world. Finally, I would like to voice gratitude to the management and all employees at Golden Pass LNG as well as the teams at QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil for their dedication and commitment, which are key to helping deliver on our energy commitment.”
QatarEnergy holds a 70 percent stake in Golden Pass LNG while ExxonMobil owns 30 percent. The companies had made their final investment decision—valued at more than $10 billion—in February 2019 for developing this export project.
Exports from Golden Pass are expected globally starting from the second quarter of 2026.
