Tellurian Inc. said April 1 that former Sempra LNG executive Octávio M.C. Simões has joined the Houston-based company focused on developing the next wave of LNG along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Simões, an industry veteran with more than 30 years of experience, will serve as senior adviser to Tellurian CEO Meg Gentle. He recently retired from his role as president and CEO of Sempra LNG & Midstream LLC, where he directed all LNG and related midstream operations.

Gentle said Simões’ deep relationships in the LNG markets will help Tellurian as the company prepares for future growth including completion of the commercialization of Driftwood LNG.

Driftwood LNG is a proposed export project in Louisiana. The company plans to make a final investment decision on the $30 billion project by the first half of 2019, according to a recent Reuters report.

“Octávio brings 38 years of impressive energy industry experience to Tellurian’s remarkable infrastructure team,” Gentle said in a statement. “At Sempra, he led the company’s LNG and natural gas midstream activities, including development and commercialization of Cameron LNG, where he focused on reliability of deliveries to customers, safety and gas sourcing strategies that assure reliable production of LNG.”