U.S. LNG company Venture Global LNG sought permission from federal regulators to load the first commissioning cargo from its Calcasieu Pass export plant in Louisiana, according to a filing made available on Feb. 4.

Venture Global asked the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to authorize the first cargo before Feb. 9 so the company could load that cargo on or after Feb. 9.

Earlier this week, Venture Global said the Calcasieu facility produced first LNG on Jan. 19.

Calcasieu has been pulling in feed gas from pipelines since around August, according to Refinitiv data, as the company tests equipment.

Venture Global is installing 18 modular liquefaction trains configured in nine blocks at Calcasieu to produce about 10 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of LNG, equivalent to about 1.5 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas. Analysts estimate the plant cost about $4.5 billion.

Federal regulators have approved the commissioning of at least three blocks so far.

In total, Venture Global has about 70 MTPA of LNG export capacity under construction or development in Louisiana, including the 10-MTPA Calcasieu Pass, 20-MTPA Plaquemines, 20-MTPA Delta and 20-MTPA CP2.

Venture Global has already started early site work on the $8.5 billion Plaquemines project, which analysts expect to start producing first LNG in 2024.

Venture Global has entered long-term agreements to sell LNG to units of several companies around the world, including China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC), China Petroleum and Chemical Corp. (Sinopec), Shell Plc, BP Plc, Edison SpA, Galp Energia SGPS SA , Repsol SA and Polish Oil and Gas Co. (PGNiG).

Onshore