LNG Expansion Accelerates as Developers Push Forward
- Timothy Beggans
- Mar 11
- 2 min read
The race to expand U.S. LNG export capacity is intensifying as developers advance projects under a supportive policy environment. Several key projects are moving toward Final Investment Decisions (FID), while others are already in various stages of expansion.
Major Developments
Alaska LNG – Japan and South Korea have signaled interest in the project, seeking to secure both energy security and access to U.S. markets.
Cheniere Energy
Corpus Christi LNG: Evaluating FID for Midscale Trains 8-9 by 2025 (~25 MTPA), with an additional ~5 MTPA in development.
Sabine Pass Liquefaction: Currently operating six trains (~30 MTPA), with ~20 MTPA in the development pipeline.
NextDecade (Rio Grande LNG) – Considering an expansion to ten trains (~60 MTPA).
Venture Global (Plaquemines LNG) – Planning to increase capacity from 27 MTPA to 45 MTPA.
Projects Under Consideration
Kinder Morgan (Gulf LNG) – Evaluating a potential FID in 2025, with an expected export capacity of 3-10 MTPA.
Golden Pass LNG (~15 MTPA) – First LNG production is anticipated in late 2025, with export cargoes expected in 2026. Further expansion by ExxonMobil and QatarEnergy remains a possibility.
Market Considerations and Challenges
LNG export capacity growth depends on natural gas production increases, new long-haul pipeline development, and regulatory approvals. As WTI crude oil prices approach breakeven levels (see above), there is need for increased long-haul pipeline capacity from the Marcellus and Utica basins.
Pipeline economics, estimated at approximately $2/MMBtu from the Northeast to the U.S. Gulf Coast, may impact LNG pricing models. If producers can recover infrastructure costs through LNG exports, long-haul pipeline development could accelerate. Additionally, West Haynesville, and Northwest New Mexico’s Mancos Shale are emerging as key basins to watch.
As demand for U.S. LNG continues to rise, the industry faces critical investment and infrastructure decisions that will shape the future of global energy markets.
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