Cheniere Energy to boost LNG capacity with two new projects in Louisiana, US

US based Cheniere Energy intends to expand its production capacity by approximately 19 million tons per annum (mtpa) by 2025, with two new liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects.

The proposed projects are likely to boost the firm’s LNG production capacity to around 60 mtpa.

The firm also intends to develop two more liquefaction trains beside the existing site of the Corpus Christi project.

Each of the trains will have a potential capacity of 4.5 mtpa, which is likely to raise the project’s total LNG production capacity to almost 22.5 mtpa.

The firm will also increase its LNG production capacity up to an additional 10 mtpa by investing on two mid-scale projects in Louisiana, in partnership with Parallax Enterprises.

Cheniere along with Parallax will invest in Live Oak LNG (Live Oak) and Louisiana LNG (LLNG) projects which will be accompanied with two liquefaction trains each.

The projects are being engineered by Bechtel Oil, Gas, & Chemicals. Each train for the projects has a capacity of around 2.5 mtpa.

Cheniere chairman and CEO Charif Souki said: "We expect that these liquefaction trains could be funded from internally generated cash flows, which would allow us to continue to be one of the lowest cost suppliers of LNG in the market and give us more flexibility in terms of contracting and selling volumes on a more tailored basis to meet the individual needs of global LNG buyers."

Constructions for the LNG projects are expected to start as early as 2017, only after it secures regulatory approvals and reaches final investment decisions.

Productions from the projects are expected to start from 2021.