Cheniere Energy and Bechtel Oil, Gas and Chemicals said that they have achieved substantial completion of Train 1 of the Corpus Christi LNG Project.

Commissioning is wrapped up and Bechtel has turned over care, custody, and control of Train 1 to Cheniere Energy.

Jack Fusco – President and CEO of Cheniere said: “Train 1 at Corpus Christi has achieved Substantial Completion, becoming the first liquefaction train placed into operation at a greenfield liquefaction facility in the lower 48 states.

“This momentous achievement was made possible by Cheniere’s professionals and our EPC partner, Bechtel, who worked diligently together to ensure a seamless transition from construction to operations. I’d like to thank the Cheniere team and Bechtel for their world class execution, which has enabled us to continue our impeccable record of bringing trains online safely, ahead of schedule, and within budget.”

Bechtel won the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for three liquefied natural gas trains and related facilities of the Corpus Christi LNG Project.

The three LNG trains will have a production capacity of nearly 4.5 million tonnes per annum of LNG. Also part of the LNG export facility are three LNG storage tanks with a capacity of around 10.1 billion cubic feet equivalent, and two berths that can facilitate vessels with a capacity of up to 267,000 cubic meters.

Brendan Bechtel – Chairman and CEO of Bechtel said: “The entire Bechtel team is very proud of our contribution to Cheniere’s success on the U.S. Gulf Coast, as we hand over custody of this historic first Texas LNG train.

“It was three years ago that we were able to support Cheniere’s entry into the LNG export market with Train 1 at the Sabine Pass Liquefaction project. With five trains now completed and operating well ahead of schedule, we are excited to continue working alongside Cheniere to deliver their next wave of trains with the reliability of outcome that Cheniere and Bechtel have become known for delivering.”

The date of first commercial delivery from the Corpus Christi LNG Project is anticipated to happen in June 2019 under sale and purchase agreements (SPAs) with Endesa and PT Pertamina (Persero). Apart from that, bridging volumes are scheduled to commence around the same time under a SPA with Iberdrola.

  Bechtel, Brendan Bechtel, Cheniere Energy, Corpus Christi LNG Project, Jack Fusco, Liquefied natural gas