Golden Pass, an LNG project jointly owned by Exxon Mobil and Qatar Energy, drew 300 million cubic feet of gas on Wednesday in preparation for its first LNG production, LSEG data showed.
Once completed, the 18 million tonne per year project in Texas is expected to be one of the largest LNG export facilities in the United States and will help the United States maintain its position as the world’s largest exporter of supercooled gas.
On January 30, Exxon CEO Darren Woods said he expects the plant to begin producing LNG in March, a significant milestone for the project.
“ExxonMobil continues to support Golden Pass operations in making this important project a reality,” an Exxon spokesperson told Reuters on Wednesday.
Golden Pass did not respond to a request for comment.
The recent increase in gas usage at the plant follows the arrival and unloading of a cool-down cargo at the plant in December, one of the final testing stages before transitioning to LNG production.
The $10 billion project has been plagued by delays and cost overruns since construction began in 2019. The project’s lead contractor had to be changed, and the project filed for bankruptcy, claiming cost overruns.
“That venture did a very good job of coming out of bankruptcy,” Woods said during a fourth-quarter earnings call with Exxon analysts. “My prediction is that the first LNG will be produced in early March.”
The plant increased its natural gas demand from 200 mcf on Tuesday to 300 mcf on Wednesday. (Reporting by Curtis Williams in Houston; Editing by Nathan Crooks and Kirsten Donovan)
