NextDecade signs lease to develop LNG export facility in Texas

NextDecade has signed lease agreements with the State of Texas and Texas City for a nearly 1,000-acre site at Shoal Point to develop a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility.

At Shoal Point, Texas City owns almost 376 acres of land while Texas General Land Office owns the adjoining around 618 acres of land.

Last year, substantial new natural gas sites were discovered in the state of Texas that amounts to more than 90 trillion cubic feet (tcf).

The discoveries increased global interest in the state as various international companies are seeking to seal long-term natural gas agreements.

NextDecade chairman and CEO Kathleen Eisbrenner said: “Now more than ever, the US has the potential to benefit from the incredible natural gas resources we have right here in Texas.

“The US is the most competitive source of LNG in the world and NextDecade is looking forward to bringing new supply to the global marketplace from the heart of the global energy industry.”

After completion, the Shoal Point project will be the first LNG facility to serve the ports of Houston, Texas City and Galveston, which together form one of the largest port complexes in the continent.

The project is situated towards the east of Texas City’s major petrochemical industrial complex and 40 miles away from Houston.

The 1,000-acre land will provide the project adequate scope for design flexibility and capability expansion. The project can also reap the benefits of its proximity to deep water along with existing natural gas pipeline infrastructure.

In addition to the potential Shoal Point project, NextDecade’s present focus includes its Rio Grande LNG project in South Texas.

The multi-billion dollar, 27 million tonnes per annum Rio Grande LNG project is advancing quickly through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) permitting process.

The project at Shoal Point will benefit from NextDecade’s ability to replicate most of the design and engineering work done for Rio Grande LNG, a project expected to have one of the lowest construction costs than other LNG production facilities.

Based in The Woodlands, Texas, NextDecade focuses on land-based and floating LNG projects.

---

Image: Shoal Point location in Texas. Photo: courtesy of NextDecade.