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U.S. firm Caturus announced the development of a five-train liquefaction expansion phase for its Commonwealth LNG plant, located in Cameron Parish, Louisiana.
The expansion will add 7.75 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of liquefied natural gas to the planned base capacity, bringing the total projected volume to approximately 17.25 mtpa. Operations for this new stage are scheduled to begin in the early 2030s, reinforcing the platform’s supply flexibility.
Doubling export capacity at the Commonwealth LNG plant
The company, backed by Kimmeridge, Mubadala Energy, and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, continues progress on the initial six-train, 9.5 mtpa project. The final investment decision (FID) on the base project was formalized four months ago upon reaching a $9.75 billion financial close. With a total allocated budget of $13 billion, the initial phase is expected to begin commercial operations in 2030, with 90% of its production committed through long-term sale and purchase agreements.
Complementarily, the growth of the firm’s exploration and production activities will ensure the domestic gas supply required to feed the expanded infrastructure. The company’s integrated offering has facilitated commercial agreements with internationally significant firms such as EQT, Glencore, Mercuria, Petronas and Aramco Trading. Furthermore, the terminal will have the necessary logistical capacity to manage the berthing and loading of LNG carriers with a volume of up to 216,000 cubic meters.
Additionally, the execution of the expansion phase will leverage modular construction methodology, the consolidated supply chain, and engineering expertise accumulated during the base development. In this regard, French contractor Technip Energies has received authorization to order long-lead equipment. Notable components include six Baker Hughes mixed refrigerant compressors driven by LM9000 turbines, six Honeywell cryogenic heat exchangers, and four Titan 350 gas turbogenerators provided by Solar Turbines.
Source and photo: Caturus
