US LNG Growth with First Export at Golden Pass and Tug Order for Woodside
The expansion of the U.S. export LNG sector continues with two Gulf Coast projects, Golden Pass LNG and Woodside Energy, reporting new milestones in their development. It comes as the U.S. industry continues to grow and remains the largest exporter, especially after Qatar was forced to suspend operations due to the attacks from Iran.
Golden Pass, a joint venture between QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil, located at the Sabine Pass Terminal in Texas, confirmed reports that its first tanker is now alongside. The Al Qaiyyah (88,817 dwt) docked at the terminal today, April 20. Built in 202, the vessel is registered in Liberia and operated by South Korea’s Pan Ocean for QatarEnergy.
Reuters is reporting that the cargo will be shipped to Italy as part of contracts with QatarEnergy. It is unclear when the vessel will load and depart, but Reuters reports that HL Sea Eagle (89,000 dwt) appears to be holding in the Gulf and is likely to be the second vessel to load at the new facility. HL Sea Eagle was delivered last year and operates under charter to ExxonMobil.
The shipment is about a month after Golden Pass LNG reported it had achieved first production on Train 1. At the time, the company said it paved the way for the first cargo to be loaded and for the facility to achieve sustained liquefaction. The project has been running behind schedule after encountering challenges during construction.
Golden Pass LNG is reported to be currently at about a capacity of 400 million cubic feet of gas, half its initial target. Train 1 was completed, but the second and third trains are still under construction. Each train will have a capacity of approximately six million tonnes per year.
As Golden Pass moves into operation, Woodside Energy reported the next steps for the development of its project in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. It acquired the planned project in 2024 and moved it into construction last year. It has a total permitted capacity of 27.6 million tonnes per year, with the initial phase consists of a three train 16.5 Mtpa development. It is targeting its first LNG in 2029.
To support the project, a new agreement was reached for the launch of a new towing company, Green Tug Towing, which received a 20-year contract from the project. The new towing company is being launched as a joint venture between Saltchuk Marine and Harbor Docking & Towing.
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Green Tug Towing reports it has contracted for the construction of four advanced diesel-electric hybrid propulsion tugs. They will be built by C&C Marine & Repair in Louisiana using Robert Allan’s Rapport 2800H design. Work is due to begin in the second quarter of 2026, and the contract is valued at more than $300 million. It brings Woodside and its contractors' commitments to more than $1 billion.
The tugs will provide towing services for LNG tankers calling at the Louisiana terminal. The companies highlight that the vessels are highly maneuverable, and the design enables significant fuel reduction and reduced emissions.