Cameron LNG project : First LNG produced by $10bn LNG export facility

The Cameron LNG project in Hackberry, Louisiana has been brought into production by Sempra Energy and its partners through the first liquefaction train of the $10 billion worth phase 1 of the LNG import/export facility.

The first phase of the Cameron LNG project will have three liquefaction trains with an estimated export capability of 12 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) or nearly 1.7 billion cubic feet per day. Each of the trains will have a capacity of up to 4.5Mtpa.

Last November 2018, the commissioning and start-up process for the first liquefaction train began after all its major construction activities were wrapped up. In April 2019, Train 1 started receiving gas flow for testing having achieved the final stage of the commissioning process.

Commercial operations at Train 1 will begin after completion of performance testing and receipt of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorization to begin service.

Train 1 of the Cameron LNG project in Hackberry, Louisiana. Photo courtesy of McDermott International, Inc.

Lisa Glatch – chief operating officer of Sempra LNG and board chair for Cameron LNG said: “Reaching this important milestone of first LNG production is truly a credit to the team at Cameron LNG and the work they’ve done to reach this point.

“Cameron LNG expects to load cargoes in the coming weeks – another major step forward to bringing cleaner, affordable energy to global markets.”

Train 2 and Train 3 of the Cameron LNG project phase 1 are slated to enter into production in the course of the year.

Sempra Energy, which has indirect ownership of 50.2 % in the Cameron LNG project, is partnered by French oil and gas giant Total and Japanese firms Mitsui and Japan LNG Investment.

Mc Dermott International and Chiyoda International, in a consortium, are responsible for the engineering, procurement, and construction of the Cameron LNG facility. The consortium bagged a contract worth $6 billion for the same in 2014.

Mark Coscio – McDermott Senior Vice President for North, Central and South America said: “When a facility starts producing a product, it is always a significant accomplishment, especially for such a large-scale project like Cameron LNG.

“We are proud of our project team for this achievement and for their exceptional safety performance during the construction phase. Once Train 1 is at full production and we have completed Trains 2 and 3, this facility will be one of the largest producers and exporters of LNG to markets around the world.”