Golden Pass LNG received its long-awaited extension for its permit on March 5, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced. (Source: Golden Pass LNG)
Golden Pass LNG received its long-awaited extension for its permit on March 5, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced.
“Exporting U.S. LNG supports American jobs, bolsters our national security and strengthens America’s position as a world energy leader,” said Energy Secretary Chris Wright in a press release. “President Trump has pledged to restore energy dominance for the American people, and I am proud to help deliver on that agenda with today’s permit extension.”
Golden Pass LNG is a joint venture (JV) owned by ExxonMobil and QatarEnergy, located on the Sabine Pass on the Texas side of the Texas/Louisiana border.
Golden Pass LNG’s permit originally required a start-up by Nov. 30, 2026. The DOE’s decision extends the date to November 30, 2029.
The project is set to begin production in late 2025 or early 2026 with a capacity of up to 2.57 Bcf/d of natural gas once completed.
The requested extension allows the company to plan for contingencies, Golden Pass LNG executives said when making the request.
Golden Pass LNG had already received the required permits from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2020.
The JV’s original schedule was to begin production in 2023, but the project ran into construction delays that deteriorated into a lawsuit with one of its contractors, Zachry Holdings. The contractor quit the project in May 2024 and filed for bankruptcy.
Chiyoda International became the primary contractor following the episode. The total cost for the project is estimated at more than $10 billion, the companies reported.
Golden Pass LNG will be the ninth LNG export facility located in the U.S.
It’s the second LNG export facility approved by the President Donald Trump administration’s DOE, after the former White House administration paused DOE permits for LNG facilities seeking to sell to countries without a free-trade agreement with the U.S. at the beginning of 2024. The first LNG permit was given to Kimmeridge’s Commonwealth LNG near Cameron, Louisiana.
A non-free trade agreement permit allows LNG producers to sell to countries that don’t have a free-trade deal with the U.S. The permit is crucial for the financial viability of an LNG project.
Other projects waiting for DOE permits include Venture Global’s Calcasieu Pass 2 and Energy Transfer’s Lake Charles LNG.
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